November 12, 2012

31+ Fun & Frugal Thanksgiving Activities & Freebies for Kids

31+ Thanksgiving Crafts & Freebies

By Crystal Paine, Contributing Writer Looking for some inexpensive and simple Thanksgiving-related activities for your tots, preschoolers, or grade schoolers? I've culled the internet and put together a list of over 31 of my favorite Thanksgiving-themed activity ideas, plus a number of free downloads and printables. Enjoy! Fun & Frugal Activities Make Turkey Footprints or Turkey Spice Handprints. Play Turkey Color Bingo. Image from Frog Prince Paperie Stitch some Thanksgiving Turkey Finger Puppets. Create your own Pilgrim Hat. Sew turkeys from old socks and felt. [...]

Filed Under: Children, Family life, Holidays, Home Educating, Mothering Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 11 Comments
November 9, 2012

Real Food Substitutions and No-Bake Cookie Dough Balls {a perfect holiday treat}

No Bake Cookie Dough Balls

Written by Rachel Marie, Contributing Writer I'm always on the look out for natural alternatives and healthy recipes, and I'm sure you are, too--especially if you read Keeper of the Home frequently. With all the gluten intolerances, food allergies and reduced sugar guidelines so many readers face today, I'm glad to be able to make quick substitutions like these: You can also substitute 1 cup sugar with 1 teaspoon of pure powdered stevia. (Not truvia or another similar brand; those are equal substitutions and often have fillers in [...]

Filed Under: Holidays, Real Food, Recipes, Seasonal eating Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 22 Comments
November 7, 2012

Classic Pumpkin Pie {Made with Fresh Pumpkin}

Pumpkin Pie Recipe with Fresh Pumpkin

By Mindy, Contributing Writer I never was a big fan of pumpkin pie during my childhood years.  Every year at Thanksgiving, I would choose cherry or apple pie over the classic pumpkin pie.  I never understood why it was such a big deal around the holidays! Until... I had my first pumpkin pie made out of fresh pumpkin.  Wow!  What a difference it made in the taste and texture of the pie!  I finally had an appreciation for this time-honored dessert that I had never [...]

Filed Under: Holidays, Real Food, Recipes, Seasonal eating Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 24 Comments
October 15, 2012

It’s Ready! The 2012 Christmas Gift Guide (for your shopping pleasure)

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Are you thinking Christmas yet? I'll confess, I wasn't really. Until this weekend. As I went through and selected my favorite picks from each shop that is participating in our Christmas Gift Guide, my brain was spinning with perfect ideas for all those on my list. There really is a fantastic selection of items here! How to use this Gift Guide Take a look through now and get some ideas. If you're ready, go ahead and be one of those awesome, uber-organied people who does [...]

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September 20, 2012

2012 Christmas Gift Guide at Keeper of the Home

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Christmas gift guides have been around a long time. But, this year we've decided to take what makes us stand out in the blogosphere (providing inspiration, information and resources for a natural, healthy lifestyle) and use it to ease your search for the perfect gifts to complete your list. Do you prefer to buy gifts that are handmade? Eco-friendly? Made with pure ingredients? Sustainably made or sourced? Support small business owners? Our goal is to build a list of great companies that carry just the [...]

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July 12, 2012

HealthIER Camping Food: 7 Tips for Taking Real Food With You

Tents

Written by Stacy Myers, Guest Writer I’ve been camping since I was 8 years old. At my request, my parents decided to try it once – and they ended up LOVING it. We’ve been every year since then.  My first child, Annie, went on her first camping trip at 2 months old. We started out in tents but my parents graduated to a pop-up camper. However, when we camp we like to “rough it.” We usually don’t use electricity, but we do use gas for [...]

Filed Under: Holidays, Real, whole food, Recipes Tagged With: , , , 51 Comments
April 18, 2012

3 Simple Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Love Note 2

Mother's Day is fast approaching on May 13th. Are you looking for some gift ideas? Here are three simple ideas to bless the moms in your life: 1. Pure Lotion Bars These bars from MadeOn Skin Care are my personal favorites for dry feet and hands (they work on lips, too, in a pinch). I've given them several times as gifts and they always receive a warm reception. You can purchase them in gift packs (in either original Bee Silk, or in Au Chocolat). Another [...]

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January 31, 2012

Dark Chocolate Flourless Pudding Cake: A Sweet Valentine Dessert

Dark Chocolate Flourless Pudding Cake

Written by Mindy, Contributing Writer This ooey, gooey cake is a chocolate lover's dream - specifically a dark chocolate lover's dream!  It's light and airy, but oh-so rich all at the same time.  A perfect ending to a lovely Valentine's dinner at home. The key to this cake is using a very good quality chocolate.  If it's fair-trade and organic that's even better!  With so few ingredients, choosing the very best quality you can find will guarantee that this cake will taste amazing. I included [...]

Filed Under: Holidays, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , 24 Comments