I finally found a good alternative for plastic storage bags! Here's my review of Stasher's silicone storage bags, plus 20 different ways to use them. This post is sponsored by MightyNest. I love recommending them!A new tool has found a spot in my kitchen, and it's one I've been looking for ever since I began managing my own home.I dove into natural living shortly before I got married six years ago. Reducing waste and finding reusable household goods was one of my first pursuits. We bought glass drinking straws and replaced most of our paper towels with microfiber cloths and Swedish dishcloths. We used cloth napkins, glass water ... Continue Reading

Swedish dishcloths replace kitchen sponges and paper towels. They're simple, smart, and pretty! This post is sponsored by MightyNest. As always, I’m happy to recommend them, and grateful that they carry such a wide selection of healthy products for my home!Do you have any pet peeves that you've carried with you from childhood? For my part, I'm afraid I've never liked the ubiquitous kitchen sponge.Kitchen sponges get too nasty too quickly. Yes, you can pop them in the dishwasher, but you need to do this pretty often to offset the smell. And the more you wash them, the faster they break down. Pretty soon you toss them in the trash, ... Continue Reading

Accessorize your kitchen! These 7 things will simplify your life AND give your kitchen a touch of personality and coziness!Want to breathe new life into your kitchen--without spending much money? Just like you can wake up a mundane outfit with a few well-chosen accessories, your kitchen can benefit from quick, frugal additions.Over my six years of marriage I've collected a few favourite kitchen accessories that not only simplify my life, but give my kitchen a touch of personality and coziness. When we lived in a series of apartments these items helped to make each new kitchen feel like home. They're a small but worthwhile ... Continue Reading

These Cinnamon Roll Biscuit Bites are light and fluffy with just the right amount of buttery sweetness. You can have them in your mouth in 30 minutes, easy. Serve them for breakfast, brunch, or any time you want to enjoy a sweet snack with your cup of coffee!You know how it is when two separate people you really like get to know each other--and end up getting along really well? It's satisfying and gratifying when your friends get along with each other. And it opens up new possibilities for fun!I've discovered that this doesn't just happen with people but with food, too. For instance, I love biscuits and I love cinnamon rolls. I ... Continue Reading

I love experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes, but I also rely on tried-and-true meals that I can make with minimal effort. I do meal plan, so generally I mark down a couple of new recipes I'd like to try that month, and then fill the rest of the meal slots with my repertoire.Today I'm giving you a one-week meal plan that's pretty typical for us. It will be a great fit for you if:You eat (or want to eat) a real food diet You don't mind a few meatless meals You don't have common food allergies You like eating frugally and simplyThis meal plan might work for you even if you don't fit all of the bullet points ... Continue Reading

There's a lot of waste that goes on in kitchens, but intentional homemakers don't have to follow the norm.You can choose to invest in reusable kitchenwares, and as you use them day in and day out you'll not only keep junk out of landfills, but you'll get your money's worth (many times over!).Here are some ways you can switch to reusable alternatives in your kitchen. I want to raise my son to be familiar with all of these! Glass or stainless steel food storage containers Your food will taste fresher if it's not stored in plastic, and glass or stainless steel don't absorb food odours and stains the way that plastic does. Stainless ... Continue Reading

This easy almond custard recipe is light and soft, made with a milk base instead of heavy cream. It has a silky mouthfeel with just a brush of sugar and fragrant almond extract.I have a sweet tooth, and it's particularly partial to custards.You really can't go wrong if you serve me custard for dessert, and it's with great restraint that I'll keep myself from licking the dish--I'll certainly scrape the sides with my spoon and lick that clean!I adore custards because they're so simple yet refined at the same time. It's also easy to customize them with any extract or seasonal fruit you have on hand.Recently I made custard off ... Continue Reading

When summer heats up, no homemaker wants to use the oven any more than she has to.That might mean that you bake less cakes and cookies than you do the rest of the year, but it doesn’t mean that you have to give up dessert until September.Keep your kitchen cool and enjoy cold desserts instead! Cold desserts are perfect for a laid-back summer because you can make them ahead of time and then pull them out of the fridge or freezer whenever your family is in the mood for an after-dinner treat.One of the easiest frozen desserts you can make is a fruit ice. Head over to Keeper of the Home to read the rest of this post and get my ... Continue Reading