-
Upper Michigan Pasty: The Ultimate Recipe for Authentic Flavor
My husband’s family has roots in the Upper Peninsula, so making an Upper Michigan Pasty was pretty much a rite of passage. If you’ve never had a pasty (pronounced pass-tee), it’s like a hearty meat-and-potato hand pie—a Yooper favorite that dates back to the 1800s. These filling pockets were originally made for copper miners who needed a hot, portable lunch that could survive the morning in their coat pocket. My husband’s grandma made them for her family, and we were lucky enough to find her handwritten recipe. We’ve now made them part of our own kitchen traditions—and I hope they’ll become part of yours too. For more nostalgic meals like…
-
Unlock the Incredible Benefits of Tallow for Soaps and Skincare
If you’re like me, you were a little weirded out when you first learned about Tallow in Soaps or maybe even tallow in general. You want me to put what on my hands and face? 😆 When I started learning about all its benefits, I quickly got used to the idea and started really appreciating the knowledge. If you struggle with dry skin, here are 3 products to use to battle it! If you don’t know, tallow is rendered and purified beef fat. Yup, you read that right! When you render beef fat (specifically suet, found around the kidneys), you rid it of impurities and water, leaving a nutrient-dense oil that will…
-
Why I Ditched Toxic Ingredients and Switched to Natural Soaps
Have you ever flipped over a bottle of body wash or baby lotion and been stunned by the ingredient list? I sure was. What started as a simple goal to eat a little healthier after having my first baby quickly snowballed into something bigger. As I started learning to read food labels, I realized I needed to take a closer look at the products going on my skin, too—especially the ones I was using on my kids. What I found shocked me: everyday skincare and soaps were packed with toxic ingredients—many of which are known endocrine disruptors, allergens, or skin irritants. Even products labeled as “gentle” or “natural” often weren’t…
-
Is Lye Natural and Safe? Why It’s in Every Real Soap-Even the Gentle Ones
Why does lye (sodium hydroxide) need to be in soap? This is a huge question I asked myself when I started looking into a more natural way of making soap. I read all the ingredients in the soaps and other products we were putting on our skin. I began to wonder what all the chemicals were for and how they were affecting us. What I found is we don’t need all those crazy chemicals to create an amazing soap. But we do need Lye. You can not make a natural soap (or any soap) without it. Whether you are looking to choose more natural products or make your own DIY…
-
My Scheduled C-Section Story-Thanks to My Breech Baby
This post contains affiliate links. This will not cost you anything but helps us to offset the cost of running the blog. We only share products we are using and are items we would recommend to a friend. Thank you for your support! Click ‘HERE’ for more info. First of all, I went into this pregnancy NOT wanting to have a C-Section, but Hannah had other plans. I was taking a Bradley Method Birthing class so that I could have an all-natural drug-free birth experience. If you’re interested in that kind of birth experience I highly recommend the book Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way. You can also find a live class to…
-
Review of GroVia All in One Newborn Cloth Diapers
We’ve been using the Newborn All-In-One Grovia Cloth Diapers for 6 weeks now, and we love them! My daughter was born at 8 lbs 14oz, but by the time we got home, she had lost almost a whole pound (yeah, we had a slight weight issue), so she wore them as a 7lb 14oz baby and is about 9 lbs and is still wearing them. According to the Grovia website, Newborn Cloth Diapers are great for newborns between 5 and 12 pounds. I chose the GroVia brand of cloth diapers because the company is committed to high-quality, healthy, and environmentally friendly products. They also have some organic cotton options that…
-
How to Make a Chocolate Rock Cycle
The Rock Cycle is something we study in the Montessori curriculum pretty much every year, especially in the lower elementary years because if you’re 6-9 year old is anything like mine (or any of my students) they are all pretty much obsessed with geology! This post contains affiliate links. This will not cost you anything but will help us offset the cost of running the blog. We only share products we use and would recommend to a friend. Thank you for your support! Click ‘HERE’ for more info. I have always had a hard time with the rock cycle (I know, kind of embarrassing for a teacher to admit), I just could…
-
How to Make Cran-Raspberry Jam using Cranberry Juice
Cran-raspberry jam with cranberry juice is a sweet-tart twist on a classic fruit spread — and it’s surprisingly hard to find! After coming up short in my search, I decided to create my own version, and it turned out even better than expected. The tart cranberry juice adds a bright pop to the raspberries and gives this jam a nostalgic flavor that reminds me of the juice I loved as a kid. Want more recipes that use juice or simple ingredients? Browse our Jams and Jellies page for ideas that go beyond the basics. This post contains affiliate links. Using them will not cost you anything but will help us…
-
Black Raspberry Pie with the Best Crumble Top Recipe
It’s no secret that one of my favorite parts of summer is being able to pick fresh black raspberries and make Black Raspberry Pie. You’re going to love this pie, so grab those precious berries and get to baking. Use fresh or frozen black raspberries for this simple recipe. Somehow, this pie with frozen berries tastes better in the dead of winter when summer seems so far away. Top with an easy and delicious crumble to see some extra sweetness. Are you craving more delicious treats? Visit the From Scratch Desserts section for more recipes. This post contains affiliate links. This will not cost you anything but will help us…
-
Perfect Reverse Sear Prime Rib Roast (With No Rosemary in Sight)
This year, my nephew was telling me he would be cooking a prime rib roast for my sister and her kids at their little family get-together. He told me they were on sale, and I was intrigued. I have never had a prime roast. Ribeyes – yes. We are a huge steak-eating family. But I have never had it in a roast. We are not a traditional family in the sense that we have a huge Christmas dinner and all that jazz. I usually want to have my kids come over and enjoy them. I don’t want to feel exhausted from preparing a huge meal. So it is either pizza…
