We Like Making Our Own Stuff

Good day We Like Making Our Own Stuff readers; long time no see! Today, I want to share with you my new favorite breakfast.  If you are attempting to eat a more traditional diet, trying to cut out processed foods, or just looking for something different, yet delicious, for breakfast, then this recipe is for you.  Sometimes, I get a little tired of eating eggs (please don't tell my hens I said that), and a little sweetness in the morning is nice once in a while. This recipe is very flexible as far as ingredients and toppings go.  It can be adjusted to fit many types of eating styles--Paleo, Whole30, Nourishing Traditions, autoimmune, gluten-free, etc...  But, you don't need to be following a special eating plan to enjoy this breakfast, because it is delicious ! Warm Butternut Squash Breakfast Porridge topped with cream, raspberries, sliced almonds, and granola.

Squash season will soon be upon us. Yellow Crookneck Squash The time will come when I will make my daily trek out to the garden and be delighted to see that my first yellow crooknecks and zucchinis  are ready for picking...and then there will be more the next day, and the next, and the next. It will eventually get to the point where I have grown weary of eating squash sauteed in butter, I've frozen enough of it to last me the winter, and even dehydrated thin slices of it into chips, and still, it continues to produce, and begs for me to pick it. Which is why I wanted to share this recipe--it was a winner (even my oldest son, who is not much into squash, said that it was good). Summer Squash and Wild Rice Casserole

Children love to forage and collect "treasures."  Send them outside with a basket, in search of all kinds of nature's trinkets: pine cones twigs seed pods leaves stems flowers rocks feathers shells moss The list goes on... Once the children have collected a pretty good haul of Mother Nature's gems, you can use them to make a nature collage: The collage can be a free-flowing, abstract piece, or might make more realistic images, such as this old man, made with milkweed pods, twigs, and corn husks: Outdoor Materials Collage 1.  Collect small items from outside, such as pine cones, small sticks, pebbles, or seed pods. 2.  Use a sturdy material as your canvas, such as cardboard or tag board.  It can be small, like a post card, or large, like a poster. 3.  Older children may be able to use a hot glue gun (or an adult could do the gluing), otherwise, just use regular white school glue.  Be sure that your outdoor pieces...

I check labels carefully before I purchase any food product, and I am not thrilled by what I see on most chocolate syrup or chocolate milk labels: Hershey's Chocolate Syrup Label Nature's Touch Chocolate Milk Label Once in a while, the kids like to have some chocolate milk, or some syrup drizzled on their ice cream or yogurt.  I have been avoiding purchasing any chocolate syrup, however, since most of them contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and other questionable ingredients. That is why I prefer to make chocolate milk at home, rather than using the ready-made stuff.  By mixing my own with syrup, I can control how much sugar the kids are getting, plus it allows me to use good quality milk from pastured cows. Kids love chocolate milk, so why not make it healthier? I found a recipe for chocolate syrup in an old cookbook that is corn syrup free, and found that it turned out wonderfully.  The recipe calls for only five ingredient...

If you are looking for a good way to use up some eggs, try this delicious twist on deviled eggs--these are made with avocados and plenty of savory seasoning.  They are also mayonnaise free, and contain only healthy fats. I have included instructions for hard cooking your eggs because it is important to have eggs that are easy to peel.  That way, you aren't tearing up the whites, which can be quite frustrating!  I have been using this method of boiling eggs for years, and find that the eggs not only peel easier this way, but the yolks will stay a nice bright yellow. Eggs perfectly boiled will have nice, bright yellow yolks.

Most chicken owners know that their full grown hens and roosters should have access to a dust bath.  Usually, if they have enough space to roam outside, chickens will find their own favorite spots to bathe in the dirt (annoyingly, ours picked right in the front yard by one of our big spruce trees--they are lucky I love them). But did you know that chicks need dust baths too?  Chicks need dust bath just as much as full grown chickens.