Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

My Favorite Whole Wheat Recipes – and A Nutrimill Giveway From Paula’s Bread

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I’m often asked how I get my 100% whole wheat baked goods to actually taste yummy. It is true that sometimes store-bought whole wheat flour can turn out a dry and dense muffin or bread. We know whole grains have more nutrition, but really, who cares how healthy it is if it doesn’t even taste good?

No Knead Whole Wheat Bread

Ahhh, that’s why I love my Nutrimill. Freshly ground flour is so amazingly good. It makes a world of difference in the way my baked goods taste. Even better is the fact that all the nutrients are alive and intact when you grind your own flour. Tastes better and is much healthier? Yes, please!

What are my favorite Whole Wheat Recipes? Well, all of them, of course. But if I really had to choose my top ten, I guess they would be…

How has your whole wheat baking experience been so far?  Ever since I started grinding my own grain, it’s made a world of difference in how the product turns out. Who knew baking with whole wheat (or other freshly ground grains) could be so easy?

Buying a Nutrimill is a bit of an investment. It’s worth it, but it can take a while to save up the money for one. That’s why I thought you might like the chance to win a free one. :)

Paula’s Bread is the sweetest!! We’re hitting the restart button with a Nutrimill giveaway, thanks to Paula. :)

Who Wants to Win a Nutrimill

I love my Nutrimill, which can be used to grind hard and soft wheat, kamut, spelt, hulled buckwheat, oat groats, hully barley, triticalae, rye, brown rice, wild rice, popcorn, sorghum, soybeans, split peas, and dried beans. It grinds these into a lovely, fine flour which can be used in all of your baked goods.

I use my Nutrimill alllllll the time. I mostly use my mill to grind hard and soft white wheat. Most people don’t even know they are eating whole grains at my house. They just know they are eating delicious bread, cookies, muffins, or pizza crust.

Paula’s Bread is the place to go when you’re ready to buy a Nutrimill. Her prices are always the best, and her customer support is fantastic. I have worked with Paula for years. She’s a lovely, godly woman. (Like Paula’s Bread on Facebook!)

This week, she is giving one of you a FREE Nutrimill. Who wants to win?! Here’s how to enter:

  1. Leave a comment on this post.
  2. Sign up for Paula’s Newsletter, then leave another comment on this post letting me know you did (optional).
  3. Follow Paula’s Bread on Twitter, then leave another comment on this post letting me know you did (optional).
  4. Tweet about this giveaway, linking to this post, then leave another comment on this post letting me know you did (optional).
  5. Share about this giveaway on Facebook, linking to this post, then leave another comment on this post letting me know you did (optional).
  6. Email your family and friends about this giveaway, linking to this post, then leave another comment on this post letting me know you did (optional).
  7. Share this post on Pinterest, then leave another comment on this post letting me know you did (optional).

Look at all the chances to win! I’ll draw a random winner on Wednesday, September 17. Be watching for a post stating the winner, as you will be responsible for contacting me if your name is chosen.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Gratituesday: Apple Time

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gratituesday[2]

At church yesterday, a dear friend stopped me to say, “Laura, if you want apples, I’ve got a tree full. Come help yourself!” And so, as soon as we got through the majority of our school work today, three boys and I headed out with bags and boxes. Below, you will see a big apple tree…and three sets of legs.

apple time

We didn’t have much time, but the four of us picked fast and furious. Within a half hour, we had 2 big fruit boxes and 5 paper grocery sacks filled!

apple time 2

You can guess what I’ll be doing the rest of this week. Applesauce, apple pie filling, apple crisp – oh yeah. Our house will be smelling good. Our Victorio will be getting a workout. Our cinnamon supply will dwindle.

What a blessing to be supplied with so many apples. Having the chance to pick them with my boys on a bright sunny day was glorious!

What are you thankful for this Gratituesday? Leave a comment to share!

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Fresh Peach Milkshakes

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It’s story time, children. Please sit down, criss-cross-applesauce, and listen quietly.

Once upon a time, there was a lady who got a new blender. It wasn’t just any blender. It was the blender of all blenders, the Blend-Tec blender that she’d been waiting patiently to purchase.

She was super excited to make a peach milkshake with the fresh peaches she had in her kitchen, and figured that reading all the fine print in the “blender handbook” would be a waste of time. “How hard can it be?” she thought, “It’s just a blender.”

And so, the uninformed lady proceeded to fill the blender to the top with delicious whole milk, slices of fresh peach, maple syrup, and vanilla. With excitement, she placed the lid on the blender and pushed the on button.

Before the lady could say “one Mississippi” the force within the blender sent the lid shooting right off the top. With a shout that sounded something like, “Aaoourrhheeeewwryeeeoo!” the lady quickly smacked the off button. But no matter. Peach milkshake had been sent to the ceiling, to the floor, to the stack of mail beside the blender, to the casseroles sitting on the countertop, to the side of the refrigerator, to surfaces she found three days later, and I think it goes without saying, to the clothes, arms, legs, shoes, and hair of the befuddled lady.

She stood, quite shocked and motionless, for approximately 8 Mississippi’s, before calling in her 12 year old son. With a chuckle, said 12 year old brought in the camera, as moments such as this should be documented and preserved forever in ones memory and computer picture file.

peach milkshakes 1

This picture does not do the situation justice.
“The lady” was covered, the rug was covered, everything was covered. 

Thus lunch-time was delayed, and the kitchen got a much needed scrubbing. The lady soon smelled sour from being drenched with dairy product, and even though she changed her clothes before going to a soccer game, was surprised to find flecks of dried peach stuck to her knees and ankles during half time.

The moral of the story: Read the directions, do not overfill your blender, and do not be surprised to find crusty milkshake residue four feet away on the front of the silverware drawer next Friday.

The end.

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Everybody hungry for a Peach Milkshake now? Below you’ll find a recipe, which only makes about 2 servings. Trying to make 6 servings at once, no matter how large your blender, is a bad, bad, bad idea. I’m still not quite over it.

Fresh Peach MilkshakesYum

2 cups whole milk
2 fresh peaches, sliced
1 Tablespoon real maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place ingredients in a blender, making sure the blender is only half-full, trust me on this one. Place lid on the blender, plug it in, and give it a whirl until ingredients are well blended.

Fresh Peach Milkshake

Make this milkshake at your own risk.

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Menu Plan for the Week

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Pigs in a Blanket

Remember how we used to host High School Huddle on Sunday nights? (It’s the high school kids from our church youth group, along with a few adults, meeting on Sunday evenings for fellowship and Bible study.)  We took a break last year and instead hosted a family small group Bible study at our house. This year, since we’ve got two boys in high school, and a big enough house for hosting 40 people, we’re hosting huddle again! We’re sharing the responsibility with another family, taking turns month by month. September is our month, October is theirs, November is ours, and so on. I love this plan and am very excited to have these teens in our home!

All that to say, our first Huddle of the year begins tonight! Feeding meals to a large crowd isn’t difficult for me as long as I keep the menu simple. The teens don’t need fancy, they just want yummy. I can do that. :)

Here’s our menu for this week. Our evenings are full of soccer games and music lessons.

Sunday, September 7
Poppyseed bread with orange glaze (recipe from Make-Ahead Meals and Snacks eBook), blueberries
Sweet and Sour Meatballs (recipe from Let’s Do This! eCourse), baked potatoes in the crock pot, green beans and sweet peppers from the garden
Huddle – Grilled Italian chicken, Italian bread, carrots and cucumbers with ranch, watermelon, chocolate chip cookie bars

Monday, September 8 
Scrambled cheesy eggs, peaches
Pizza boats, tossed salad, carrots and cucumbers
Pigs in a blanket, green beans from the garden, honey dew melon

Tuesday, September 9
Chocolate chocolate chip muffins, fried eggs, strawberries
Bacon, egg, and avocado salad, cantaloupe
Chicken, spinach, and feta sliders, pineapple mango smoothies, cucumbers

Wednesday, September 10
Mountain man breakfast, peaches
Cheddar ranch burgers, potato wedges, peas, honey dew melon
Grilled barbeque chicken, tossed salad, green beans, raspberry lemon cream cups

Thursday, September 11
Try a new smoothie recipe, scrambled eggs
Easy noodle stir fry with carrots, broccoli, and zucchini, watermelon
Lasagna casserole, tossed salad, sweet peppers and cucumbers, fresh pineapple

Friday, September 12
Mini breakfast pizza, creamy orange cooler
Tuna salad on tomatoes and lettuce, peaches, pickles
Ham and cheese pasta salad, raspberries

Saturday, September 13
Crepes with blueberries, strawberries, and whipped cream
Leftovers
Grilled burgers, corn on the cob, watermelon, pickles

Anything good on your menu this week?

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Barbecue Beef and Cheese Hot Pockets ~ The Make-Ahead Lunch Box

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Hot pockets can actually be eaten cold. Who knew?

The Make-Ahead Lunch Box

When I asked you what you needed in a packed lunch, this is what you told me:

  • Quick and easy
  • Can be eaten cold
  • Hearty and filling

These Barbecue Beef and Cheese Hot Pockets are all that plus they are delicious. You can make them big or small, accommodating big or small appetites. They taste great hot or cold. You can make them ahead of time and pull them out as needed. They freeze well. What more do you need? Just the recipe I guess…

Barbecue Beef and Cheese Hot PocketsYum

Barbecue Beef and Cheese Hot Pockets ~ The Make-Ahead Lunch Box
 
Save Print
Author:
Serves: 16
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds beef stew meat
  • 1 batch homemade barbecue sauce (more if you like)
  • 2 cups shredded cheese
  • 1 batch whole wheat pizza dough
Instructions
  1. Place stew meat and barbecue sauce in a skillet.
  2. Cook on low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally, until meat is cooked and tender.
  3. In the meantime, mix the whole wheat pizza dough and set it aside to rise.
  4. Once both meat and dough are ready, remove meat from the heat.
  5. Stir in cheese until it is melted.
  6. Divide dough into about 16 pieces.
  7. Roll each piece of dough into a thin circle.
  8. Spoon meat mixture into the center of the circle, then gather up the edges of the dough and pinch to seal.
  9. Place pinched side down on a baking sheet.
  10. Once all dough is filled with meat, allow the pockets to rise about 15 minutes more.
  11. Bake in a 375° oven for 15-25 minutes or until pockets are golden brown.

Barbecue Beef and Cheese Hot Pockets

This would be a great way to use up leftover roast beef. In addition, you can fill hot pockets with any variety of meats and cheeses. They are a great, versatile meal idea!

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If you’re hitting the restart button with us this fall, I challenge you to find one recipe (maybe this Barbecue Beef and Cheese Hot Pocket recipe?) that you can make ahead of time and freeze. Having food prepared like this in the freezer is a life saver on busy days when you need a healthy meal quickly. You’ll find all of our Make-Ahead Meal recipes here.

Once you’ve completed the challenge, come back to this post and leave a comment letting us know what you made. Can’t wait to hear!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Share Your Story: Save Money Making Buttermilk

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Share Your Heavenly Homemakers Recipe Story

Heather, from My Overflowing Cup, shares how she was inspired by the Heavenly Homemakers site to make her own buttermilk.

myoverflowingcup buttermilk story

Here’s a snippet of a post on her blog:

I use a lot of buttermilk! While I don’t drink it, it’s my favorite milk for all baked products. I use it for pancakes, waffles, muffins, scones, cakes, etc. I also use it in my Buttery, Caramel-ly Pancake Sauce.

If I were to buy buttermilk from the store and use it in my recipes, as is, it would not be a very frugal option for my family. However, I have found a buttermilk hack!

I was inspired by Laura at Heavenly Homemakers. She makes her own buttermilk using raw milk and a starter culture. You can read how she does it by clicking here. She will also show you how to make keifer and sour cream.

Read the rest of the post here…

I can’t decide what I love most:  The fact that Heather and her family are enjoying the health benefits of making homemade buttermilk – or that she is saving money doing this. Maybe I’ll just love both. :)

Keep in mind, since we’re all totally inspired to eat lots of salads now, homemade buttermilk makes a mean homemade ranch dressing. What a great way to hit the restart button!

Have a story to share? I know many of you do! Take a picture or two of Heavenly Homemakers recipes being used in YOUR kitchen. Email them to me, along with a story of how you used the recipe. I can’t wait to share your story here!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

{IMPORTANT INFORMATION!} Plus, All Subscribers Get a FREE Copy of 1-2-3 Menu Planning!

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Super important information! Please read!

We’ve been having trouble with our current newsletter subscription platform – so out with the old, in with the new! I’m so excited about this, as it will now be so much easier to communicate with you all.

If you have been a subscriber in the past, you should have or soon will be receiving an email asking you to confirm your new subscription. Go ahead – it’s legit! Click on the link provided in the email so you’ll continue to receive our daily newsletters.

Not a subscriber yet? I love that so many of you come directly to my blog to read daily updated content! I’m still going to encourage you to go ahead and subscribe anyway. Why?

These newsletters are completely free, and will ensure you never miss one of our posts. Plus, every once in a while, I’ll send an additional email with an exclusive freebie, download, or awesome deal. Being a subscriber has some definite perks. Who doesn’t like free stuff? :)

So lets get started with a freebie! Every single newsletter subscriber (using this new subscription platform) will be receiving a free copy of 1-2-3 Menu Planning. All you have to do is be a current subscriber, or submit your email address here to become a subscriber. Boom. Free eBook! (Limited time only.)

123 Meal Planning Cover sm

Don’t forget! If you’ve been reading my newsletters, but have not re-subscribed, you MUST confirm the email sent to you. If you already received that email, didn’t know what to do with it, and deleted it, no problem! Simply re-subscribe here.  And if you have never subscribed but would like to so that you can keep up on all we’re doing here plus receive the free eBook, click here to subscribe.

Any questions? Let me know!

I realllllllly appreciate you all hanging with me on this. It’s a bit of a headache to make a big change like this, but it will be very worth it in the long run. Thanks everyone!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Hit the Restart Button: Eat More Salads ~ Try Our Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes

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I have homemade salad dressing recipes for you!

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-retro-seamless-pattern-set-image20825059

Yum

Let’s just say you are hitting the restart button this fall in an effort be healthier. If I could give you just one piece of advice for making one simple change, it would have to be this:  Eat more salads.

And also drink more water and cut back on sugar. And eat real butter instead of margarine. 

Apparently I feel strongly about more than one aspect of making healthy changes and I just can’t not mention butter in a post about making changes in your diet. But today, I really do want to focus on eating salads. With a big glass of water on the side. Plus you should never, ever eat margarine.

Easy Taco Salad with homemade French Dressing

Soooo, salads. We all know they are good for us. The reason I bring them up today is because I think they are a fantastic way for all of us to hit the restart button and fill up on nourishing foods. The possibilities are endless when it comes to building a salad. This means that none of us have excuses as to “not liking” what’s in front of us. You can pick what you put in it, for goodness sake. Green leaf, red leaf, romaine, spinach, cucumbers, peas, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms, sweet peppers, onions, and on it goes. Then you can put dressing all over it – the kind you like best. You can even put bacon and cheese in your salad. If that’s not a reason to eat a bowl full of green leafy vegetables, I don’t know what is.

Bacon, Egg, and Avocado Salad

It is now easier than ever to make super healthy salads. Do you have these little gems at your grocery store?

easiest salad ever

They are pre-washed, so all you have to do is throw the greens in a bowl or on your plate. No excuses!

I highly encourage you to make a variety of tossed salads a bigger part of your life. I highly encourage you to make your own salad dressings with pure ingredients to keep your salads healthy. And I encourage you to eat butter. 

Need some easy salad dressing recipe ideas? Hit the restart button by making a new salad dressing or two. You’ll find that it’s so nice to have Ranch Salad Dressing Mix and Italian Salad Dressing Mix made up in bulk so that you can quickly mix in liquid ingredients for fresh, healthy dressings.

Favorite Simple Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes 2

You’ll find all of our homemade salad dressing recipes on this page (along with many other fun condiment recipes you’ll love). Here are our favorites at a quick glance…

Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes

How many times each week do you eat salad? Could you eat them more often? What is your favorite kind of salad dressing?

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Hit Restart, Save $10

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Right now, I’m very much in a “stock up on groceries for fall and winter” mode. I want to be set up to have company, to bake for others, and to make our school days easier. Being well supplied with ready-to-grab groceries is super helpful to me. Many of you (like me) already purchase food online from Vitacost. It’s a wonderful option for healthy groceries, low or free shipping costs, and home delivery – my favorite part!

If you are new to Vitacost, you can shop through my referral link and get a free $10 off your first order of $30 or more. You’ll love all the great food they offer, and to get $10 free? Well, yay! Even better, if you purchase $25 or more Vitacost Brand products, shipping will be free. (Otherwise it’s just $4.99.)

Free $10 At Vitacost

Items I recommend:

Obviously, there are hundreds more products – those are just some of our favorites. Go get your free $10!!!!!! Your healthy food restart will arrive on your porch in just a few days! :)

This post contains some affiliate links.

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Gratituesday: Restarting With the Newsboys

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gratituesday[2]

One of our family’s favorite Christian bands is Newsboys. Elias got their latest album for Christmas last year, and wouldn’t you know it? The title of the album is Restart. Have you heard this song? It fits perfectly with our plans to Hit the Restart Button, right?

These song lyrics are great. The Truth is that no matter what, God can and will always hit the restart button in our lives at just the right time. He knows what we need. He knows what is best. He knows. 

I love that He is so gentle. I trust Him. A fresh start with Jesus is just what we need.

What are you thankful for this Gratituesday? Leave a comment to share!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!