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Oh, For Real: Real Food, Real Family, Real Easy

March 5, 2013 by Laura 94 Comments

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This eCookbook the resource so many of us (including me!) have been needing for so long!

Because this kitchen resource is designed to be your “go-to” book, it is filled with pictures, tutorials, information, and of course – lots of recipes. It isn’t fancy. It isn’t overwhelming. It’s just me sharing “how I do it” when it comes to feeding my family a healthy diet on a limited budget and with limited time.

This book includes my most treasured recipes that I use all the time. I’ve shared many of them through the years on my blog, but to have them all together in one handy book? This is so helpful! These are the recipes that help me feed my family healthy food without breaking my neck in the kitchen. These are the recipes that keep my freezer stocked with ready-to-grab meals and snacks. These are the recipes my family loves. (Even the family members who are picky!)

In addition to all the recipes and helpful information we’ve organized in the book, you will find “Real Quick Tips” sprinkled all throughout, which will provide you with simple ideas for getting ahead and saving time in the kitchen.

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Each time you see the “Freezer Friendly” button in the book, you can learn with a quick glance how to prepare that particular recipe for the freezer, and how to reheat it when you are ready to serve it.

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What will you find in Oh, For Real?

Over 115 healthy, real food breakfast, lunch, supper, casserole, slow cooker, and snack recipes that will save you time, money and sanity
Versatile mixes and whole grain dough recipes that offer loads of healthy recipe options with little to no effort
Freezer cooking ideas and instructions to help you actually get ahead in the kitchen
Last minute (healthy) meal ideas, because for real, you don’t have to resort to ordering pizza in a pinch
More information about my family and me than you ever really needed to know. We are real. :)

Care to take a little peek inside? Click here for a preview.

This is not an eBook you will read once and stuff on your shelf, never to be read again. This is more than a cookbook. Oh, For Real is your real food resource – the book you will reference over and over as you develop and/or maintain your healthy, whole foods kitchen.

Get yours here!

Our Heavenly Homemaker’s Club Members have access to this amazing resource plus ALL of our eBooks, eCurriculum, printables, and so much more – for one very low price! Join us here!

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Gratituesday: Almost Finished!!!!!!!!!!!! (And My For Real Confessions)

March 4, 2013 by Laura 15 Comments

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I have the best editors, the best designer, the best friends, and the best family ever. My new book is almost finished – only because of the wonderful people in my life who have encouraged me, helped me, and spent countless hours working with me. My book would be pitiful without them, and that’s no exaggeration.

And let’s just be real, because that’s what we do around here, and because that’s what this book is all about: The real me – when under pressure, when feeling the stress of a deadline, when seeing the light at the end of a tunnel too many miles away, when short on sleep – is not pretty. Sometimes I didn’t even like being around myself. (And unfortunately, I have found that getting away from myself has been extremely difficult.)

Let’s not even talk about what my house looks like. Okay, fine – let’s do talk about it. Can I admit to you that aside from basic laundry and dishes, I haven’t cleaned anything in my house for several weeks? (Eek!) The boys have kept up with their bathroom, bedroom, and living room chores, so that has helped tremendously. But do not ask to see my desk, my bedroom, or the kitchen floor. I could write my name in the dust on the piano (and on the hardwood floor in our office). It’s scary.

But hey – the book is almost finished. ;) Maybe I’ll celebrate by having a party with my mop bucket.

Messy self and messy house aside – I have to share how thankful I am for all of your encouragement about this book. Your enthusiasm as you wait for its arrival has kept me going. My family has been awesome and then some. When I’ve told the kids, “Just go warm up leftovers again.” – they haven’t complained. I can’t even begin to tell you how much Matt has done to make this book happen. I am so thankful for him!

Now that we’re so close to being finished, I am so excited that I still might not sleep! When a project this big comes together – it’s hard not to jump and scream throughout the house. Shucks, I should really use that energy to wash the butter splatters off the mirror in my kitchen.

God is good. He has made this book come together. It doesn’t get any more real than that.

Share how God is working in your life on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for! Please read through the Gratituesday Guidelines so that you understand what kinds of posts you can link up to share here. Posts that are linked but do not fit our Gratituesday theme will be deleted.

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday, please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

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How I Think: My Nutrition and Health Views (Sneak peek into my new Oh, For Real book)

March 3, 2013 by Laura 18 Comments

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Over the past two weeks, I’ve shared some of the new recipes you’ll find in my upcoming new book, Oh, For Real! Today, I thought it would be fun to share a small portion of the other information in the book. I can’t share my tried and true real food recipes without first explaining my nutrition views, right? Here’s what you’ll find on page 7 of Oh, For Real! By the way, the book is almost finished and you’ll be able to pre-order in just a few days. We are so excited!!

You can choose to agree or disagree with me and we can still be friends, I promise. I mean…I might gag a little if you offer me some margarine, but really, I will love you just the same. And if you continue to read, you will find all kinds of wonderful (if I do humbly say so myself), family-friendly recipes and tips for making your kitchen life easier. Recipes that are healthy and make your life easier? Yeah, for real!

How I Think (My nutrition and health views)

For real, people. Eating a healthy diet is not that complicated.

There is contradicting information all over the place that will make our heads spin. I’ve decided to avoid telling you the “health food” information that I completely disagree with, and instead tell you what I, after much research and study, believe to be good and true. (And I am completely convinced that I am right.)

I believe that healthy food is real food. I consider “real food” to be…

…the food that grows in fields and on trees.
…the food that comes from animals.
…the food that we can recognize.

I am absolutely all in when it comes to food in its real, true form. That means that my family cooks with and regularly enjoys real butter, real cream, real meat, real fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and real eggs. For real. We don’t hold back.

Why? Because we know what these foods are made of and where they came from. They didn’t originate in a factory and find themselves sold in a box or a tub. They have been around since the beginning of time. They spoil if left uneaten.

Processed food may remain in its unspoiled state for years on end. That is why, when your toddler drops an animal cracker or a half of an uneaten fast food French fry under a seat in your minivan, and you don’t find it until she is in middle school – both the elephant and the fry will look the same as they did eight years ago when she dropped them.

Real foods are nutrition packed. They are delicious. They are whole. They are real. I have felt so much better physically since giving up processed foods, and instead, filling up on real, whole foods. I believe this is because I am eating foods that my body recognizes. Along with this, I am filling my body with nutrients. Food isn’t just to be eaten to fill a hole. Food is nourishment. Simple as that….

More information about Oh, For Real! to come. Thank you all for your support and enthusiasm as we finish this project and have it ready to share with you. I’ve loved hearing how excited you are. You are all awesome!

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Menu Plan for the Week

March 3, 2013 by Laura 6 Comments

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Where is my brain sometimes??

Apparently, a few months ago I made two huge Apple Crisps and put them into the freezer for a “future huddle.” Hooray for me – I got ahead!! Boo for me – I forgot all about the Apple Crisps. (I think I made them back in October.) Yay for me – I found them last week!

They are now in my oven, baking for Huddle tonight – and they smell super good! I’ve gotta say – with how crazy our schedule has been with finishing the book and being on the road for Asa’s basketball games, etc., it sure is nice to have a ready-made dessert.

The moral of the story: Make a dessert. Freeze it. Forget about it. Find it when you need it most, and consider yourself blessed. :)

Here’s what’s on our menu this week:

Sunday, March 3
Oatmeal, fruit
Lasagna casserole, tossed salad
High School Huddle – Crock pot bbq chicken, green beans, cream cheese corn, french bread, apple crisp (unless I forget to serve it…) :)

Monday, March 4
Peanut butter pancakes, bananas
Chicken patty sandwiches, fruit salad
Italian roast wraps, tossed salad

Tuesday, March 5
Mini breakfast pizza, clementines
Pigs in a blanket, green beans
Calico beans, quick mix honey cinnamon muffins

Wednesday, March 6
Creamy orange coolers, fried eggs on toast
Black bean taco salad, apples
Shepherd’s pie, tossed salad

Thursday, March 7
Giant breakfast cookies, applesauce
Chicken noodle soup, carrots
Popcorn chicken, steamed broccoli and carrots with rice

Friday, March 8
Honey whole wheat bagels, oranges and kiwi
Sub sandwiches, fruit, baby carrots
Meat and cheese burritos, tossed salad

Saturday, March 9
Fruit pizza
Leftovers
Hamburgers and french fries, fruit

Ever made something for your freezer, then forgot it was there? :)

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Whole Wheat Quick Mix Honey Cinnamon Muffins

March 1, 2013 by Laura 26 Comments

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Simple. Tasty. Fast. Isn’t that what we want in all of our recipes? This muffin recipe is all of that and healthy too!

See? I told you this Whole Wheat Quick Mix has been a life saver!

Quick Mix Honey Cinnamon MuffinsYum

2 cups Quick Mix
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup honey
½ cup milk
1 egg

Mix all ingredients until just combined. (Do not over-stir.) Scoop batter into 9 paper lined muffin cups. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

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Homemade Healthy(er) Twinkies

February 27, 2013 by Laura 27 Comments

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Have a recipe you’d like me to try and make over?
Submit your recipes on this Real Food Recipe Makeover Submission Page.

Twinkies bring up a very special memory for me. The only time we ever got Twinkies when I was little was when we needed to pack a lunch on school field trip days. Therefore, about two days each year, my mom bought my brother and me a Twinkie, and packed it in our sack lunch – along with a cold grape soda wrapped in tin foil to keep it cold. Such fun memories!! (And the only real reason I liked field trips.) :)

So here we are, over thirty years later, and about three years after the first healthier Twinkie recipe request I received. Obviously, this recipe make-over really had me stumped. While I had an idea about how to make a whole wheat spongy cake, I had no idea how to make a healthier cream filling. So when one reader, Stacy, left a comment a couple of weeks ago on the Redless Velvet Cake post, sharing a recipe that she said tasted “like Twinkie filling” – I tried it right away.

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Unbelievable. It really does taste like the Twinkie filling I remember from back in the day. Upon tasting it, I suddenly had the urge to get a grape soda, climb onto a loud school bus, and take a trip to a museum. (But not really.)

I will admit that it was harder than I thought it would be to duplicate the airy, empty-calorie cake part of a Twinkie. Regardless, these “Twinkies” taste delicious and were a fun treat for my family. My kids devoured them!

Homemade Healthy(er) TwinkiesYum

2 eggs
1 cup sucanat
1 cup whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground flour from hard white wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter

In a bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer for about four minutes or until thick. Gradually add sucanat, beating for an additional 4 minutes. (Yes, I know, lots of beating. That’s how it becomes spongy, light, and airy.)

Add flour and baking powder, beating until just combined. Heat milk and butter on the stove until butter melts. Add milk mixture to batter, beating until combined.

Pour batter into baking pan, and bake in a 350° oven for 20 minutes. (I used a cool Flexipan that I’d gotten from Demarle. Muffin tins would work great, or small loaf pans.) Allow cakes to cool completely before filling.

Twinkie Filling

3 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sucanat
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Palm Shortening or softened butter

Cook milk and flour, stirring constantly until mixture is very thick. Set aside to cool. Whip milk mixture with sucanat until sucanat has dissolved.

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Add palm shortening and vanilla and whip until light and fluffy.

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Check it out! Stick your finger in and taste it…just like Twinkie Filling! (Except better. Of course.)

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To fill your Twinkies:

Slide a long knife through each cake – just to make an opening.

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Put Twinkie Filling into a frosting bag with a large, open tip. Place the tip into the slit in the cake and squeeze to fill. (I found that putting some in each end of the Twinkie worked best to fill the Twinkie evenly.
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When I called the boys in for the treat, it is a fact that my two youngest asked, “Twinkies? What are Twinkies?” I guess they’ll never know – except for what they’ve experienced with this healthified version. :)

Once I explained “Twinkies” to the boys, Malachi said, “Oh! Is this that treat Grammy used to give you on trips?” Yes indeed. {sniff} I’m so glad he remembered that I had told him the Twinkie story.

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In case you didn’t already figure this out by reading through the above instructions, Homemade Healthy(er) Twinkies are a little bit of a “high maintenance” recipe. This type of recipe did not make it into my Oh, For Real book. Only recipes that can be made quickly and easily made that book! But hey, this Twinkie recipe is still a keeper. It’s lots of fun and a very special treat to make!

Think you’ll give these a try? Have any fun Twinkie memories to share?

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Oh, For Real! I Might Get To Meet You!

February 27, 2013 by Laura 67 Comments

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With the launch of our Oh, For Real book coming in March – we are so excited to share what is falling into place to go along with it! This is something we’ve been wanting to do for a long time. Somehow, the timing just wasn’t right. Until now.

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As our family looks ahead toward the coming months, our calendar shows quite a few out of town trips. A basketball tournament, an extended family vacation, a wedding, a family service trip, a family reunion…

During each of these trips, as we are able, we will be planning a “Meet and Greet” time in various cities. I want to meet you – For Real! (Get it? We can meet “in real life”!) I want to get to know you and learn more about your life. I am so excited about this!

What I’m not excited about? All of the areas we aren’t visiting in the near future. There are so many of you all over the U.S. and beyond that I would love to meet. Unfortunately, we don’t have any family reunions in New York. Or Oregon. Or Japan. ;) Maybe someday I will meet all of you this side of heaven. We’ll do what we can!

So what do we have lined up in the coming months for Oh, For Real ~ Meet and Greet times?

Thursday, March 14 ~ Kansas City ~ 2:00 pm ~ details to come!
Friday, March 15 ~ Branson, MO ~ 2:00 pm ~ details to come!
Tuesday, March 19 ~ Springfield, MO ~ 10:30 am (Please email me if you are interested in helping me secure a location.)

May (sometime between the 16-22) ~ Denver, CO ~ Purple Door Coffee ~ details pending
May (sometime between the 16-22) ~ Colorado Springs, CO ~ details pending
Sunday, July 7 ~ Oklahoma City, OK ~ 2:00 pm ~ Vintage Coffee

Be watching for additional posts which share further details and specifics of these events. In the meantime, make plans with your friends to join us if you can!

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Whole Wheat Quick Mix Fruit Pizza

February 26, 2013 by Laura 37 Comments

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This Fruit Pizza is so yummy – you’ll feel like you are eating something naughty. But in fact, because it is made with whole wheat, honey, and fruit, I believe you could serve it for breakfast. Since figuring out this recipe, I may have done that a time or two at our house. ;)

Gratituesday: “Mom, We Need to Pray!”

February 25, 2013 by Laura 26 Comments

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I was fighting a headache. It is hard to focus, hard to move, and hard to parent when my head is pounding.

I did everything I could from drinking lots of water to using my new essential oils to taking a nap. The pain began to ease, but still had me moving slowly.

And then Malachi, my eight year old, came into the room. He’s the one who understands suffering. He asked how I was feeling, and I gave him a weary smile – telling him that I was a little better.

Suddenly, he lit up and said with force, “Mom, we need to pray! God’s power can make your head stop hurting!”

I know this about God’s power. I’d been praying since my head started hurting. I’d been trying to release any tension and stress and just give it to God so that I could feel better again. But there was something so strong about Malachi’s words, and the faith by which he said them. I melted. I asked, “Malachi, will you pray with me – the way I pray with you when you don’t feel well?”

And then he did. He took my hand, and asked God to make me feel better. It was sweet. It was simple. It was faith filled and powerful.

I love that he has learned that God is the One we turn to when we don’t feel well and when we need help. I love that he knows how to pray. And I love that he did for me just what I needed him to do.

Share how God is working in your life on your blog, then come link up with us here. If you don’t have a blog, be sure to leave a comment letting us know what you’re grateful for! Please read through the Gratituesday Guidelines so that you understand what kinds of posts you can link up to share here. Posts that are linked but do not fit our Gratituesday theme will be deleted.

If you are linking up a blog post for Gratituesday, please copy and paste the following sentence into your post! Thanks!

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

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Can You Use Coconut Oil in Whole Wheat Quick Mix?

February 24, 2013 by Laura 14 Comments

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I’ve had several emails and comments since I posted both the Whole Wheat Quick Mix recipe and the Tropical Traditions buy one get one free (with free shipping) coconut oil deal. Many are wondering: Can you use coconut oil instead of palm shortening in the quick mix?

Yes, you sure can!

While I really, really love Palm Shortening and do prefer it in this recipe, Coconut Oil does work just as well and is just as healthy if not moreso. Plus, the Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil that is on sale at Tropical Traditions right now is flavorless, making it perfect for a recipe like Quick Mix.

So…if you haven’t taken advantage of the BOGO coconut oil with free shipping at Tropical Traditions, I say “go for it!” Then make yourself some Whole Wheat Quick Mix so that you’ll be all set for the recipes I’m sharing here and in my upcoming book!

Tropical Traditions has their Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil (flavorless) on sale again for $12.50 for two 16 ounce jars. Plus, they are offering free shipping (code 25213) with a minimum $16 order.

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