Heavenly Homemakers

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Stick of Butter Rice – AMAZING!

September 11, 2018 by Laura 21 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Now that I have discovered how to make this Stick of Butter Rice, I will never go back to making it “the regular way.” Wow, wow, and then some. It’s because of the butter, of course. Wait until you try this!

Some people be like, “Go easy on this rice because it’s so high in fat because of the butter!” But Laura be like, “What a great and delicious way to add good fat to a whole grain carb dish!”

I’m not a huge fan of empty carbs, which turn to sugar in our bodies, which offer little if any nourishment, and therefore can turn to fat in our bodies as they try to serve some sort of purpose for us. So if there’s any reason to go easy on this rice, it is because our bodies don’t need loads of carbohydrates or grains for nourishment (unless we are avid athletes with rigorous daily workouts).

As for me? I enjoy this wonderfully flavored, high fat rice in small quantities with a large side of veggies and a delightful portion of meat.

The flavor of this rice, though!!! Wow, you must try it. Between the broth, the onion, and the butter (the obvious MVP of this dish), I think you’ll be like me and decide to never go back to making plain rice again!

See how simple this Stick of Butter Rice is?

Measure uncooked rice and minced onion into a baking dish. Cut butter into pats and add to rice.

Add salt and chicken broth and stir.

Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for one hour. Your job here is done.

We love serving some sort of shredded meat with this rice, such as:

  • Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple Overnight Saucy Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple Overnight Melt-in-Your-Mouth Beef Roast
  • Simple Barbecue Beef Roast
  • Simple Hawaiian Beef Roast
  • Simple Crock Pot Salsa Shredded Beef

Those are our favorites, though this Stick of Butter Rice makes a great side dish with just about any meal!

Enjoy the simplicity of this wonderful dish! Once you try it you’ll never go back!

Stick of Butter Rice

5.0 from 3 reviews
Stick of Butter Rice - AMAZING!
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 2 cups brown rice (uncooked)
  • 4 cups beef or chicken broth
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 Tablespoons dry minced onions
  • 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
Instructions
  1. Measure rice, broth, salt, and onions into a 9x13 inch baking dish and stir.
  2. Cut a stick of butter into 8ish "pats" and spread over the dish.
  3. Cover dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.
3.5.3229

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Butter on my Shirt!

November 8, 2017 by Laura 3 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

As my blog was sneaking up on the day of its 10-Year Anniversary, I was putting the final touches on my book. Meanwhile, my friend Charlene was dreaming of some fabulous ideas.

See, Charlene’s the one who came up the idea of this blog in the first place. She helped me name it, helped me set it up, and spent hours and hours and hours teaching and guiding me in the beginning. She has been a part of Heavenly Homemakers since before it launched and continues to help me any time I call on her. She’s an amazing designer and creator and idea-thinker-upper.

And so, when she sent this to my inbox and said, “What do you think?” I jumped out of my chair and landed on the ceiling and haven’t come back down since.

ButterPurplePrev

Is that not a shirt designed perfectly for all Heavenly Homemakers everywhere??! Check it out here, along with all the color choices!

Her creations did not stop with the butter. She got out the daisies and the jars, and have I mentioned that I can’t climb off the ceiling?

HHMpinkprev

Again, you have to see all the varieties of color choices! They are right there on Amazon, so ordering is easy peasy and prime members get free shipping too!

Then, to go along with The Prayer Mugs book I launched in June, she made this:

PTCRprevblack

See how perfectly it matches the prayer journal? There are several color choices on that T-shirt too!

PrayerMugsprev

And THEN, she came up with this, which can be personalized and used along with your Prayer Mugs journal.

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Yes. You can order your very own Prayer Mug with the names of all of your kids!! I love this so much!!!

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So basically, my friend Charlene is the most clever person on the planet and I can’t get over how fabulous all this merchandise is!!

Here are the quick links to all these wonderful new goodies to celebrate 10 years of HeavenlyHomemakers.com!

  • The Best of Heavenly Homemakers printed book
  • Butter is my Love Language T-shirts (many varieties of colors and sizes available!)
  • Heavenly Homemakers T-shirts (many varieties of colors and sizes available!)
  • Pray, Trust, Coffee, Repeat T-shirts (many varieties of colors and sizes available!)
  • Personalized Prayer Mugs (found at the bottom of my shop page with the Prayer Mug Journal)

Grab them now. Put them on your Christmas list. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

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

Easy and Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

December 11, 2016 by Laura 17 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I have eaten at least three of these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups every single day since September. Please, you must join me in delighting in this simple, and apparently necessary, pleasure of life.

chocolate-peanut-butter-cups

Before I share more about this recipe, allow me to tell a story so that when you eat these in front of others, you will not make the same mistake I did.

See, it all started out back in September when I learned that I needed to add a significant amount of good fat to my diet if I wanted to improve my health, have more energy, and get rid of my brain fog. Seeing as I had no desire to lick coconut oil off a spoon or peel open a stick of butter like a banana, my quest to figure out how to easily eat all these good fats led me to discover these Chocolate Peanut Butter Fat Bombs.

They changed my life, and I’m not exaggerating. They are so very nourishing, made with loads of healthy fat and protein, and sweetened with stevia (stick with me though, even if you hate stevia). The fat bombs are delicious and I started feeling better immediately after I began eating several each day. Who knew? My body had been screaming for more nourishment from healthy fats!

Well, back to my story of what not to do.

We had company one weekend in October. I was eating a Fat Bomb while preparing breakfast. (Had to get my brain going, you know?) One of our guests walked in and asked, “Oh, what are you eating?” Suddenly I found myself in a quandary about how to answer. I could have simply said, “It is a healthy Peanut Butter Cup.” Right? Couldn’t I have just said that??

But no. I found myself launching into a very long narrative about my health journey during the past four years and how I’d been feeling awful during the past few months and couldn’t figure out what I could eat that wouldn’t make me feel awful. The very minute I started the story, I wanted to stop. I quickly realized that the kind ears listening to my “what are you eating” explanation were on extreme overload and most definitely confused. But I couldn’t stop because I’d already started and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how to wrap it up. So I kept going on and on. I even found myself using phrases like “adrenal fatigue” and “intense detox.”

The poor dear. Some people want to know more about natural doctors and bad bacteria lurking in the gut. But some people just want to know, “Hey, what are you eating?”

So you guys. Make these, eat them, enjoy them, and let them nourish you. But for the love of pleasant conversation, when an innocent person asks you what you’re eating just say, “It’s a healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup.”

Now, it is Christmastime and treats are fun at Christmas. That’s why I’m re-sharing this recipe. But today I’m calling them Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups to ease the pain of anyone you might be having a conversation with over the holidays. You are so very welcome.

Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter CupsYum

(Let’s all practice saying it together:
They say: What are you eating?
We say: “It’s a Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup.”
There now. Was that really so hard?)

Easy and Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • ½ cup coconut oil (I use expeller pressed so the coconut flavor didn't overpower.)
  • 1 heaping Tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup natural peanut butter
  • Liquid stevia to taste (I use 1½ droppers full of NuNaturals Brand.) OR 2-3 Tablespoons of honey or maple syrup
Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, heat and stir together coconut oil, cocoa powder, butter, and peanut butter.
  2. Once melted and mixed, remove from heat and stir in stevia.
  3. Pour into 12 muffin lined muffin tins.
  4. Freeze for 20 minutes or refrigerate for 2 hours.
  5. Store in fridge and eat as needed.
3.4.3177

By the way, these really taste best when they are right out of the fridge!

healthy-chocolate-peanut-butter-cups

I love that these are completely free of sugar when made with stevia. But if you don’t like or don’t have stevia, you can use maple syrup or honey instead. These will still be wonderful for you and only lightly sweetened.

I use silicone muffin cups like these when I make these “Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.” This makes it so very easy!

Ever found yourself in an uncomfortable conversation while trying to explain something “weird” that you’re eating? Fun times.

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Thanksgiving Break Fun ~ and My Butter Famine is Over

November 21, 2015 by Laura 10 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

My butter famine is over! But first:

Now I know how my mom felt when my brother and I came home from college for holiday breaks. Never mind that Asa has only been five minutes down the road in the dorm since August. Looking forward to and preparing for him to be home for a week has made me so excited! Brittany is joining us this week too because she has to work all week. Yay for me! Another girl in the house! (We have made plans to do our nails, make crafts, and watch some girly Christmas movies. Yes!!!)

In preparation for Thanksgiving break week and Thanksgiving day itself, I think I have bought out all the grocery stores from here to Lincoln. I have two full refrigerators, a full pantry, many full freezers – there is food everywhere. After standing on my head to find places for the last of my (many) grocery purchases yesterday and completely filling every space in both refrigerators, I realized we’d be getting our Bountiful Basket order today.

tgiving2

Thankfully, most of the order didn’t have to be refrigerated. And of course, we’re already doing a great job of beginning to eat our way through all the food, thus creating more refrigerator space. It doesn’t take long for food to disappear around here.

How blessed are we? Plenty to eat, plenty to share.

Do you want to hear about the end of my butter famine now?

Remember how we talked about the high cost of butter and how my supply was running low? Many of you shared the same situation occurring where you live. So have you been able to find some good butter deals now that it’s holiday season? I hadn’t until this week. Wednesday when I was in Lincoln, I made a stop at Aldi and bought 12 pounds for $2.49 each since that’s the best I’d seen it in a very long time. Back home two days later, I found a $2.49 price match for Challenge Butter (a great brand which is normally $5 a pound!). Plus I had a couple of 50¢ off coupons. I bought another dozen pounds, and then I saw that there are 55¢ off coupons inside each box!

tgiving4

I’m pretty sure I am going to be weird and open every single box, cut out all the coupons, then go back before the sale ends to get another dozen with the coupons. It’s Challenge Butter that I can get for $1.94!! So what if I’ll have 48 loose sticks of butter in my freezer? There’s nothing weird about that. Nothing at all.

tgiving5

tgiving3

Those pictures don’t do my butter-filled freezers justice. They only show part of my madness. Basically, I’ve just stuffed butter boxes in every nook and cranny of any space in my freezers that I can find. It feels so good to have an abundance of butter again. The holidays can now commence.

We started off our Thanksgiving break with little gifts. I couldn’t help it. Our boys are into crazy socks, and Elias and I found some fun Christmas socks in Lincoln after a follow-up doctor appointment for him Wednesday. (You can guess that those cat socks are for Malachi.) I found a free printable Thanksgiving candy wrapper which I prepped to go with the socks. Here’s the link if you want to make some (candy wrappers, not socks).

tgiving1

The boys have their first homeschool basketball game tonight. I can’t wait to see them play, but I’m almost more excited to see all the moms I rarely get to see except for during basketball season. I love how God has provided these families and the friendships that come with them. 

The rest of the week, we have plans to watch movies, play Settlers of Catan, eat loads of food, kick back, and unfortunately, do a few math lessons that we’re behind in. With tiny bit of school work and a big bit of fun, hopefully the math won’t seem too bad! I even bought take-and-bake pizzas to make my load easier.

Are you taking a break during Thanksgiving week? Traveling? Staying home? Buying lots of butter?

Have a great weekend!

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What is Up With the Price of Butter?

October 20, 2015 by Laura 79 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Remember that one time I almost ran out of butter, and I was like, “eh, no biggie” and then I took a nap?

Yeah, nobody remembers that – because butter, buttttttter, BUTTER, but-ter. Laura loves butter. Running out is not okay. (Also, I rarely have time for naps.)

butter_cake

I love butter so much that once for my birthday,
my boys made and decorated me a cake shaped like a big stick of butter.
Best birthday cake ever.
Also, those Cake Boys sure were precious.

I have always watched for sales on butter and stock up when I find one. I almost always have 10-20 pounds in my freezer and about 8 sticks in my fridge. When I need more in my fridge, I send a boy to the freezer to get a couple of pounds for me. My butter needs are always met.

But the rising cost of butter is messing up my bulk purchase, never run out, always have plenty, butter is never a problem, there will always be butter situation.

This favorite of mine hasn’t been on sale for way too long around these parts. Wait – I take that back. It was sort of on sale three weeks ago, but when I went to the store to stock up, they only had three pounds left, which is like a 4-day supply for me when I’m baking and inviting people over to eat. Apparently everyone else in town had already been there and stocked up, thinking nothing of my needs. There was plenty of margarine on the shelves but absolutely not, I don’t think so, no way.

Much ado about butter

So is this what it has come to? Is this what it’s going to be from here on out? Is the cost going to continue to hover at $3.50-$5.00 a pound, or worse, keep rising from here? Ouch.

I can’t find any recent information about dairy prices. An article written about a year ago said that prices were up, but expected to go down. Ironically, the “up” referred to in that article was lower than the prices I’m seeing a year later. That article did make me a little bit more sympathetic to the farmer, helping me recognize that I should probably never complain about food prices because farmers work really hard. God bless the farmer. But also God bless my grocery budget. God bless us everyone. Please pass the butter.

So spoiled American here, working to feed her family well, while appreciating the farmer and staying within budget, and trying not to gasp in fear that there is only one pound of butter left in my house. Apparently I’m going to have to go to the store and pay full price. Wha?!

I am very interested to know what you are paying for butter these days. Has the price gone up here, there, and everywhere? Any dairy farmers among us who can shed some light? How many pounds of freezer do you usually have in your house on a regular basis? 

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

Chocolate Cheesecake Dessert

February 3, 2015 by Laura 14 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Not that you have to wait until Valentine’s Day to make this, but just in case you’re starting to think about hearts and chocolate and treats with the ones you love – I thought you might be interested in this recipe. You should probably make one now, then another early next week, then another on Valentine’s Day. Or would that be considered cheesecake overkill? (Is there such a thing?)

Remember this Chocolate Cheesecake Pie recipe I shared about this time last year? Here’s another similar idea using stevia to lightly sweeten. I also used my Shortbread recipe for the crust this time since I’ve discovered what a great, buttery crust it makes. It does not get any easier than this! (Here are Pumpkin Pie Bars with shortbread crust and Pumpkin Cheesecake with the same crust. Told you I love it.)

chocolate cheesecake
Easy Chocolate Cheesecake DessertYum

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Liquid stevia to taste (I use 30-40 drops)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Baked and cooled Shortbread Crust

Cream together softened cream cheese, cocoa powder, vanilla, and stevia. Set aside. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Fold in cream cheese mixture until smooth. (I actually throw all ingredients together in my BlendTec and let it do all the work of whipping and blending at the same time.)  Spread mixture over cooled Shortbread Crust. Cover and chill for about two hours until set. Makes about 18 servings.

Easy Chocolate Cheesecake Dessert

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Simple Pumpkin Pancakes

November 21, 2014 by Laura 7 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

It might be apparent to you at this point that I am on a big pumpkin kick right now. First Pumpkin Breakfast Cake, then Pumpkin Cheesecake, now Simple Pumpkin Pancakes. It’s just one more way to add vegetables to our table, plus it’s delicious – so why not? That, and I have oodles of pumpkin puree at my house right now, so I’m making everything I can think of. My family rejoices.

It is important to note that I often use butternut squash in many of the pumpkin recipes I am making. Pumpkin and butternut squash are interchangeable in recipes. Many a pumpkin pie at my house is actually butternut squash pie, but don’t tell.

Want to know how to easily cook a pumpkin (or butternut squash)? Cooking them whole is the easiest way I’ve found to cook them to make puree. Once pureed, I use it right away or freeze it until I need it. Awesome, nutritious goodness!

These Pumpkin Pancakes stir together in just a few minutes and taste fantastic. Veggies for breakfast…woot!

Simple Pumpkin PancakesYum

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup melted butter

Whisk ingredients together until smooth. Cook on a hot, buttered griddle, flipping once the pancake becomes bubbly on the first side. Serve with applesauce or real maple syrup. Makes about ten 3-inch pancakes.

Simple Pumpkin Pancakes

Other pumpkin (or butternut squash) recipes you’ll find here:

  • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
  • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Pumpkin Donuts
  • Warm Pumpkin Custard
  • Multi-Grain Pumpkin Waffles and Pancakes
  • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
  • Pumpkin Pecan Pie Squares
  • Pumpkin Pie
  • Pumpkin Breakfast Cake
  • Pumpkin Cheesecake

What’s your favorite way to use pumpkin (or butternut squash)?

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

Quick and Easy Shortbread Recipe

March 27, 2014 by Laura 24 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

High Five Recipes 2

Three ingredients. A super quick snack. Amazing deliciousness. Supplies you always have on hand…

Wait, you do have butter on hand, right? Okay. I mean, we can still be friends even if you have run out of butter, but don’t let it happen again. This has nothing to do with me and my butter obsession. I’m just looking out for you, that’s all. I have your best interests in mind. Opening the fridge or freezer to find that there is no more butter waiting – well, it is reason to panic. It’ll send a woman into a crazed frenzy, causing her to frantically toss a whole frozen chicken and eight packages of hamburger meat off a freezer shelf, hoping in vain to locate a forgotten pound of butter buried in the back under some frost.

It could be that I got going on that paragraph and couldn’t find a logical time to stop. Just save yourself (or me, apparently) the emotional trauma of running out of butter by always keeping a nice supply on hand.

So butter. You’ll need it for this recipe. You’ll also need flour and sugar. Plus a bowl, a spoon, and a pan. That’s it. Could it be any easier?

Quick and Easy ShortbreadYum

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground hard white wheat for this)
1/4 cup sucanat (or brown sugar if you prefer)
3/4 cup melted butter

Blend all ingredients well. Press mixture into a 9×9 inch baking pan. Bake in a 350° oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cook and cut into 12 squares.

Quick and Easy Shortbread

As you can see, this is a no-brainer recipe. I discovered it as I’ve been working on a brand new healthy snacks eBook. This shortbread can be stirred up and put into the oven within just a few minutes. We love it because it is just lightly sweetened, and deliciously buttery. It is awesome with a cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon.

It is worthwhile to note that this is not a snack you’ll want to hand your kids while they are running into the living room you’ve just vacuumed. This shortbread is a bit crumbly and needs to be eaten while holding ones head directly over a plate while sitting at a table. Trust me. I know these things.

And one more thing. Go check your butter supply. We’ll all sleep better tonight knowing you’re well stocked.

‘Fess up. How much butter do you have right now? 

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

What You’ve Always Never Wanted to Know About Me

February 20, 2014 by Laura 48 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Throughout this week, I’ve been trying to answer questions that I receive frequently. So far, I’ve tackled Why I Don’t Have a Sams or Costco Membership, How I Store Fruits and Vegetables to Keep Them Fresh, and Why We Don’t Eat Many Sandwiches For Lunch. This led me to re-read my FAQs page which is located in the drop down menu bar across the top of my website. I decided it needed updating. I also decided I should share it with you here to answer all those questions about me that you’ve been dying to know – even though I’m absolutely sure that many of you have laid awake at night wondering about none of this.

Heavenly Homemakers Frequently Asked Questions

HOW do you get everything done? It seems like with homeschooling, cooking from scratch, cleaning and keeping up with your website…you must never sleep.

I do work hard – and I bet you do too. I never get everything done but yes, I sleep. All work and no sleep makes Laura completely unproductive and ridiculously ridiculous when trying to carry on a conversation. So how do I attempt to keep up with all my responsibilities?

Well, for starters, I haven’t cleaned our toilets in about three years. I find that this frees up my time to be enjoyed in other ways – like writing and cooking.

Another way I get quite a bit of work done each day is that I tend to work rather fast – so much so that a perfectionist might watch me work and be very annoyed. I hardly ever measure ingredients when I cook, I don’t care if something I’m making looks perfect, I often leave cabinet doors open, and most days my hair is pulled back into a ponytail which means I can complete my “try to at least look presentable in case the UPS man shows up” routine in approximately 2.8 minutes.

Our four boys are not babies anymore, so I don’t have to watch them constantly to make sure they don’t put light bulbs into their mouths. Plus, all of my boys are old enough to do a lot of work to help out around the house. For the record, they do a fine job scrubbing our toilets. Wow, and here you thought… Have mercy.

How do you pronounce your kid’s names? And, how did you come up with them?

We chose unique names for our kids because when we were in college there were so many people named Matt and Laura. Plus, when I taught school, I felt bad for the kids having to be called by their last name since they were in a classroom with three other kids that shared their first name. We also wanted Bible names for our kids, just because we did. So, unique Bible names it is.

Our four boys are:

Asa (ay-suh)….was a good king (one of the few). You can read about him in 1 Kings 15:8-24.

Justus (jus-tus)…spent time with Jesus and was considered as a replacement for Judas as apostle. (Acts 1:23)

Elias (ee-lie-us)…is another form of the name Elijah.

Malachi (mal-uh-kie)…a prophet, the last book of the Old Testament.

While we’re on the subject, my name, Laura, is pronounced (lah-rah). Like the music note, la la la. It’s not hard, really. Most people pronounce it (lor-ah) because that’s what they are used to when they see L-a-u-r-a. However, my mom was from the south, and she always loved the name Laura, pronounced the apparent southern way, Lahrah. Almost everyone calls me Lora and I always answer to Lora and I don’t fault anyone for calling me Lora because they just aren’t used to it. But if/when people do pronounce my name correctly, I truly do appreciate it and love it. Just a little something to keep in mind if I ever meet you in person, you say Lahra, and I tear up a little bit.

For the record, Matt has said it correctly from the night of our very first date and I’m pretty sure hearing him say Lahra in the college student center is what made me fall in love with him right then and there.

And speaking of Matt, so that he doesn’t feel left out, his name is pronounced (mat).

Is it loud at your house with all those boys?

I’m sorry, did you say something?

How much do you spend on groceries each month? How do you eat such healthy food on such a tight budget?

You can get an idea of what our real food grocery budget was like a few years ago by reading my Getting Real with Food series, and my Feeding the Family series. At this point though, with two teenage and two pre-teen boys – all four of whom are very active and have huge appetites, growing feet, and long, long legs – I really can’t give you an exact grocery dollar amount. I do my best to feed us real food economically, and I believe cooking from scratch and buying in bulk saves us hundreds of dollars each month. As for how much I spend each month, it varies depending on our meat supply and our grocery purchase needs. But let’s just say we go through a lot of groceries. A lot of groceries.  A shocking amount of much food. Okay, you get the point.

I want to start feeding my family a healthy, real food diet. Where do I start?

This is a loaded question, and one I hear multiple times daily. That’s why I created a very inexpensive, absolutely pressure free, and completely thorough eCourse to walk you through this process of changing your kitchen into a Real Food Kitchen. Check out You Can Do This! The First Five Steps to a Real Food Kitchen.

What do you feel are the most important aspects of healthy eating?

Another loaded question, which I answer in a total of 31 posts. Wow, someone has a lot of words, doesn’t she? Yeah well, we’re talking about healthy eating here – one of my favorite subjects. Read my 31 Days of Real Food Reality posts to learn what I feel is most important, and how I keep it simple!

Which do you love more – butter or jars?

Oh now, you know I just love me a jar full of butter. I store almost everything in jars, and without a doubt, butter makes everything better…or my name isn’t Laura (Lahra).

So now your turn.  Tell me something about you. How do you get everything done every day? How many kids do you have? What’s your grocery budget like? And I really must know – how do you pronounce your name???

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

Let’s Talk About Fat {31 Days of Real Food Reality ~ Day 3}

January 2, 2014 by Laura 42 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

31 Days 300Happy New Year! Please pass the butter.

Yes indeed. Many of you have heard me say this many times, but it’s worth saying again because I always love talking about butter, and also because I feel very strongly about this:  If you change nothing else about the way you cook and eat, simply change out bad fats for good fats.

I mean, I am going to continue to encourage you to stop eating so many cookies, but at the very least, bake your cookies using real butter instead of margarine. Make your pie crusts using palm shortening instead of Crisco. Use olive oil instead of vegetable oil when you make salad dressing. And stir coconut oil into muffins instead of canola. These changes require pretty much no effort on your part, will only slightly effect your budget, and will absolutely change the flavor of your recipes for the better.

Have picky eaters at your house? While switching from white to whole wheat pasta might raise someone’s eyebrow at dinnertime, I can almost guarantee that switching from margarine to butter won’t even make anyone flinch. If anything, your family might notice that their cookies and muffins taste better than they used to. I’m telling you that back in my margarine days, my cookies always tasted a little off. They also looked funny, bless their little hearts. But when I started using real butter, my cookies became amazing. (Humbly speaking of course. The cookies speak for themselves.)

Healthy fats: the easiest healthy change…ever!

But wait, don’t we want to avoid eating too much fat??

Even though I believe many people are beginning to grasp the concept that eating fat is not altogether bad, I still can’t get over how often I hear someone talk about how fattening or naughty something is if it is full of butter or cream cheese. Au contraire.  Butter is golden (literally) and offers many wonderful health qualities – because it is a full fat!  The same is true for coconut oil and other healthy fats I’ve listed below.

Our culture has us brainwashed, but don’t think I’m faulting anyone. I was among those that stayed far away from fat (especially butter!) until just a few years ago. I read every label to check “how many grams of fat” were in each serving. If it had more than just a gram or two of fat, I stayed far, far away (and instead snacked on fat free stuff like Twizzlers – sheesh). After all, eating fat would make me fat, right?

No, no, no, no, no. I can attest to this. I have many friends who can attest to this. In fact, now I’m finding that if I’m not eating enough good, healthy fats – I don’t feel well. My skin isn’t as healthy. My hair isn’t as shiny. My appetite is not satisfied. Butter and cream have not made me gain weight – and trust me – I eat a lot of both. (“You want some potato with that butter, Mom?”)

Is this because of my metabolism or my body type? No, I don’t believe it is. Eating good fat can help everyone maintain a healthy weight. On the other hand, when I consume too much sugar or just plain overeat? That’s when my jeans get tight and I feel like junk. But that’s another real food reality post for another day.

Eat Healthy Fats!

Why don’t healthy fats make us fat? 

Real food fats are absolutely pure and whole. When we eat them, our insides are like, “Yes! I know what this is. I know what to do with this!” Our bodies can easily digest real fats. Out bodies can utilize every last bit of what is in them. Healthy fats nourish us.

On the other hand, when we eat trans fats, hydrogenated oils, margarine, and vegetable oils that have been factory created – our bodies struggle to know exactly what to do with these unrecognizable fellas. Those fats have been significantly changed from their original form, and many of them were never intended to be consumed in the first place. We eat them and our bodies become sluggish while they try to figure out exactly…what…to…do. It’s as if our insides are then saying, “Whoa? Who are you? You confuse me. I’m not sure which part of you, if any, I can use to fuel this body. Off with you. Head to the hips. Or the gut. Or just fly around in here wreaking havoc on this weary body.”

So are you saying that I should eat a bowlful of coconut oil every morning for breakfast?

Yeah, um no. We don’t want to over eat fats any more than we want to over eat any food. I’m simply saying that we should not be afraid of healthy fats, and we should eat them without reservation to fuel our body’s needs. Foods like cream, cheese, meat, coconut oil, and eggs are naturally full of fat. On purpose.  Our bodies need the nutrients they each provide.

On the other hand, most vegetables, fruits, and grains are completely fat free. On purpose.  They also provide our bodies with needed nutrients. Isn’t it cool how all natural food comes to us in a perfect way to fulfill a purpose within us? When we eat a lovely balance of all varieties of food, we can then fuel our bodies in the way that will keep us going strong!

Let’s hear it for a healthy, well balanced diet of real food!

The best sources of fat to nourish our bodies are:

  • Coconut Oil
  • Real Butter
  • Meat
  • Eggs
  • Whole milk from animals or coconuts
  • Cream
  • Avocados
  • Olive Oil
  • Palm Oil

Each of the animal fats listed above are most beneficial if from a grass fed or free range animal. But don’t sweat it if that’s not happening for you yet. Just focus on eating real food and do the best you can.  Don’t forget that God is bigger than any of your worries.

Whew! That’s a lot of information. We’ll talk more about nourishment tomorrow. For today, share with us:  How are you coming with switching to healthy fats? What are your favorite sources for healthy fats?

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