Sweeteners that have been around for centuries like sorghum syrup and maple syrup are a delicious way to satisfy your sweet tooth with a few health benefits too. But what about the new sweeteners we keep hearing about? I probably get more questions about this category of sweeteners than any other sweetener out there and for good reason. They're called sugar alcohols, but they're not sugar, and they're not alcohol.You may have seen xylitol in your chewing gum or toothpaste and … [Read more...]
Homemade Whole Wheat SOFT Tortillas and Other Healthy Tortillas
We're going out on the town for Mexican food since we love salsa, beans and rice, and smoky Mexican soup…just kidding. We're actually sharing a recipe for the best ever homemade whole wheat tortillas with all the tips I've picked up over the years.People are generally pretty impressed with an adult who makes homemade tortillas from scratch. And homemade 100% whole wheat tortillas are even another step up.We know how to make great homemade gluten-free tortillas too, but what is most … [Read more...]
Best Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe with a Crispy Crust
As a family, we eat mostly gluten-free, but we still enjoy old favorites like homemade hamburger helper on occasion. This recipe quickly became a repeat request from the kids and the parents aren't complaining either!When your kids are literally swooning over a whole wheat pizza crust and asking for fourths, you know you have a winner. (Or, perhaps your kids haven't had homemade pizza with actual wheat flour in YEARS – that could be it, too.)We generally have homemade pizza every Sunday, … [Read more...]
Healthy (Almost) 100% Whole Grain Buckwheat Gluten-Free Pizza Recipe (corn-free, no yeast, no gums!)
It's a dichotomy in America today - is pizza healthy?The government seems to think so, counting it as a power-packed grain/dairy/vegetable combo on school lunch menus. Most nutrition writers see it as a white flour nemesis at best or a trifecta of pure inflammatory grain/dairy/processed meats evil at worst.Is there such a thing as healthy pizza crust - and can it be gluten-free to boot?This isn't an oxymoron, I promise.It's the hope that you CAN make a whole grain (nearly) … [Read more...]
Why I DON’T Make Yogurt in my Instant Pot
One of the major differences in the various models of the Instant Pot is that pesky yogurt feature. Do you really need that button?Some people love making yogurt in their Instant Pot, but I will never be one of them. Here's why. 1. Instant Pot Yogurt Versus Dinner Management Honestly, I want to be able to incubate my homemade yogurt for 12 to 24 hours to get as much of the lactose sugars out as possible. I have a lot to think about already when it comes to feeding hungry mouths three times … [Read more...]
Healthy Probiotic Frosting to Reduce Sugar for Kids (& Adults)
Healthy frosting sounds like an oxymoron, I know, but it can be reality and makes an amazing berry tart or fruit pizza, for starters.Frosting can really divide a relationship, you know.There's inch-thick versus paper-thin, there's so sweet it's practically straight sugar vs. cream cheese vs. whipped cream fluff with almost no taste.And in my husband's book, there's the cake with no frosting at all!Who does that? A whole cake with no frosting? That's what we used to make him … [Read more...]
The Best Appliance For Camping and RVing
Would you take an Instant Pot to a hotel to make a home-cooked meal instead of room service? What about out in the woods camping instead of hot-dogs-over-the-fire?I'm all about both of those options, so let's talk today about taking an Instant Pot camping and why it's so easy!Whether you're camping in tents or an RV, the Instant Pot is an awesome gadget to have along:easy to pack encourages healthy food hands off so you can enjoy family time in the great outdoors doesn't … [Read more...]
The Instant Pot Review you Need Before you Buy
Oh yes my friends... Even though the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker seems to have been all the rage for quite a few years, and it can even hard boil eggs, there are still people on the fence considering whether they need one (or at least which pressure cooker is the best fit to buy for their family!).If that's you, I am here to answer all your pressure cooking questions to help you figure out which one you should buy: brand, size, and functions.What Brand Pressure Cooker is … [Read more...]
Connect Kids with Real Food and Teach Them How to Eat Healthy
Teaching kids about healthy eating can start from day one and you may find your picky eater will eat veggies even beyond a healthy pumpkin muffin. Making healthy eating fun is the key - ironically, learning food rules does just that. “Can we get a real drink now?” the little girl said the moment The Lorax movie ended.I overheard a young girl bug her parents for a soda pop, or a juice, or “they even have Vitamin water!” as folks were stocking up on concessions before the showing of … [Read more...]
You CAN Put Sunscreen on Babies Safely – Best Choices Here!
Because of all my work finding the best natural sunscreens for you guys, I get asked a LOT about safe sunscreens for babies and what the best choice is for those tiny bodies, especially parents whose babies have struggled with sensitive skin, reactions to other sunscreens and tender eczema.I have plenty of thoughts! It's been a journey for me over the years for sure, and I want to help you avoid the health and environmental mistakes I made and not waste money on brands that just don't … [Read more...]
Best All-Day NATURAL Facial Moisturizing Sunscreens with SPF
"Why are you putting that on your face?" the 2-year-old asks as I apply a little cover-up to a blemish one morning."To hide this little ugly thing," I answer with an eye roll.Then as I brush on liquid eyeliner, I hear, "Does that hurt? Is it pokey?""No honey, it's a brush, it's ok.""But why are you doing that?" he persists.I pause."Because ladies do lots of crazy things!"Sometimes you just have to end the conversation.But I want to continue the conversation … [Read more...]
Natural Sunscreen Review: Over 100 Mineral Sunscreens Tested by One Family!
Crazy but true - our family really has tested and reviewed over 100 natural mineral sunscreens, and we know the best natural sunscreens that really work! In this comprehensive sunscreen review, we share which ones stay on in the water or when you sweat, which brands make you look white like a ghost and which go on smoothly, what got us burned and what natural ingredients are REALLY the best (and the brands that are tricking you with their marketing). We've learned a lot about sun safety and … [Read more...]
Healthy Summertime Popsicles Made by Kids (No Added Sugar!!)
Why bother making healthy popsicles? Because nobody wants to turn on the oven to bake healthy pumpkin muffins in the summer!Our neighborhood is packed with kids, and they love hanging out together. When the weather is hot, popsicles tend to come out and get shared with friends.What's a household to do when we try to avoid artificial colors in food, think artificial sweeteners are dangerous for kids, and really don't want to consume a ton of white sugar either? Not to mention those households … [Read more...]
Insect Spray Safety: Ingredients to Avoid and Why
Nobody wants to be a bug’s dinner while they’re trying to enjoy a beautiful summer day. But the landscape is changing – society is becoming more informed about the potential hazards of what we put ON our bodies, and the hazards of those biting bugs seem to be increasing. An informed mom needs to know - are there safe, natural insect repellent options out there?There are 3 considerations when choosing a safe insect repellent: risks of insects to humans, risks of the spray to humans, and risks … [Read more...]
Why I Won’t Listen to Consumer Reports on Sunscreen
I get it. Consumer Reports is widely respected and well-known for really knowing how to do reviews and being very thorough. I'm just a mom who has spent the last nearly-decade testing over 100 natural sunscreens on her family in a mostly organized but sometimes haphazard way.I don't have a testing lab.I don't have a team of researchers.I don't even have perfect documentation on everything I did.But I am still going to shout my disagreement with Consumer Reports' last few years of … [Read more...]
Finding the Best All Natural Bug Spray
I always thought DEET was the worst thing ever, horrible inhalation danger, cancer-causing, the whole 9 yards.I might have been (gulp) wrong.Now that I'm learning more about the safety of insect repellents including DEET, Picaridin, and IR3535 and weighing them against the risks of Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever from ticks, as well as Zika and West Nile from mosquitoes, I'm changing my tune. I've always said that I fear Lyme Disease more than cancer. It's the only health … [Read more...]
15 Ways KIDS Can Save the Earth
While you're enjoying summertime with your kids and a reprieve from backpacks and school paperwork, there's still a lot to keep track of: use safe mineral sunscreen, don't let them have too much white sugar, gather natural strategies to stop their bug bites from itching, and feed them vegetables.Today I want to challenge you to add one more thing to what you'll impart to them this summer vacation: Kids can (and should) be taught to care for the earth. Why? One look at Facebook will yield … [Read more...]
5 Myths You Probably Believe About Food Pantries (& the Poor)
"Why are we going there? Are we getting poor?"I could hear the concern in my daughter's voice after I told them we were going to Buist Community Assistance Center, our amazing local food pantry, for a tour in a few days. Just as learning practical life skills like cooking is important to their development, I knew that exposing my kids to what it feels like to hit hard times (and the joy of service through volunteering) would be a perfect way to help them grow as people on the first day of … [Read more...]
Frugal Options to Protect your Family NATURALLY from the Sun
The average per-ounce price of my top 7 recommended sunscreens from the massive safe, natural sunscreen review is (gulp) over $7. That means that for a fairly standard 3-ounce tube, which is really quite small, you're paying over $15 (and could be up toward $30).Technically, an adult should use that tube up in just 3 applications on their full body. Ouch.What's a large family on a budget to do?Spreading the lotion more thinly so that you use less reduces its SPF – in fact, it's … [Read more...]
A Camping Explosion and a Gluten Free Real Food Menu Plan
I'll start with the explosion and make you wait for the gluten free camping food. Here's what happened to the Kimballs out in the woods when I tried to make breakfast using this new gluten-free camping meal plan instead of our old standard camping meal plan with lots of whole grains. All while still trying to keep camping budget friendly!See Katie shake the jar of soaked pancakes to mix the leavening in. (I prepped a soaked gluten-free recipe much like I do our old favorite camping … [Read more...]
