December 4, 2012

10 Ways to Celebrate a Christ-Centered Christmas With Little Ones

10 Ways to Celebrate a Christ-Centered Christmas with Little Ones at KeeperoftheHome.org

Guest Post by Jessica of Smartter Each Day Isn't Christmas with little ones wonderful? It's been quite a Christmas here, already. We've suffered three broken ornaments (one vintage), one ripped Christmas book, two discovered presents, a missing baby Jesus, and our monstrous tree has toppled over twice. (Don't worry: two tree stands, four saw-ings, one PVC pipe, and two strands of fishing line later, it's as stable as can be.) Oh... and did I mention a rather tense and snippy mom? I keep wondering: how [...]

Filed Under: Children, Faith and encouragement, Family life, Holidays, Mothering Tagged With: , , , , , 20 Comments
December 3, 2012

Naturally-Sweetened Homemade Marshmallows {A Fun Holiday Treat}

Naturally Sweetened Homemade Marshmallows

By Mindy, Contributing Writer Homemade Marshmallows are one of those things that sound so elusive to most people. I mean, who makes their own marshmallows? Only crazy people, right? Well, what if I told you that you can make homemade marshmallows that are not only easy to make, but also much tastier than their store-bought counterparts? And they just so happen to include only real food ingredients, including a completely natural sweetener. Sound too good to be true? It's not! I'll show you how to [...]

Filed Under: Do it yourself, Holidays, Homemade, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , 37 Comments
November 30, 2012

This Christmas, Give the Gift of Nutrition Through Fermentation {plus Free Printables!}

The Gfit of Fermentation at KeeperoftheHome.org

By Diana, Contributing Writer I can't believe it's been a week since Thanksgiving.  I had a wonderful time planning and preparing a real food feast for my family and friends. I spent two days in preparation that included a slow roasted pastured turkey; sourdough crackers and rolls; labneh (yogurt) cheese; roasted brussels sprouts with onions and bacon; sweet potatoes with fresh cranberries in a real maple syrup; mashed potatoes drenched in butter; and for dessert, pie – oh sweet pie. As much as I love the holiday [...]

Filed Under: Baby Steps, Holidays, In the kitchen, Nutrition, Preserving Food, Real Food, Traditional foods Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 12 Comments
November 28, 2012

The 3-Gift Christmas

3-gift-christmas

Written by Stacy Myers, Contributing Writer When our first daughter was born, we gave great thought to how we would celebrate Christmas. It was our desire to make sure she knew the REASON for the Christmas season. We didn’t want her growing up thinking Christmas was about Dora and Diego toys or stuffing yourself full of candy until you couldn’t zip up your pants. Because of that, we set out to make sure we fill our Christmas with family traditions that make Christ the main focus. We [...]

Filed Under: Children, Faith and encouragement, Family life, Holidays, Mothering Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , 99 Comments
November 19, 2012

8 Ways to Enjoy Holiday Meals Without the Junk

8 Ways to Enjoy the Holidays Without the Junk at KeeperoftheHome.org

By Kate, Contributing Writer Thanksgiving's coming--really, really soon!  And after Thanksgiving we have an onslaught of holiday festivities that will last until we begin 2013.  What we find at these festivities, in whatever form they take is...food. Lots and lots of food. I imagine the average person who eats a Standard American Diet can expect to gain 5 to 10 pounds during this time of year.  Those who eat a traditional diet, especially those who are new to eating real food, may find this time [...]

Filed Under: Holidays, In the kitchen, Living healthy, Real, whole food, Seasonal eating Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 9 Comments
November 14, 2012

Making A Family Gratitude Journal {A Simple Thanksgiving Tradition}

A Family Gratitude Journal at KeeperoftheHome.org

By Courtney Dunkin, Contributing Writer Throughout history, many cultures have held celebrations of thanksgiving to recognize their gratitude for what they have. Most often, traditional thanksgiving celebrations have been held during harvest time in the fall. In the United States of America, our Thanksgiving has evolved into the start of the Christmas shopping season. You've probably heard jokes about how we give thanks for what we have and then race to the stores to buy more things the very next day. There is certainly some [...]

Filed Under: Children, Faith and encouragement, Family life, Holidays, Mothering Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 7 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