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Easy Instant Pot Mexican Brown Rice {Meal Prep & Freezer Friendly}

April 9, 2018 (UPDATED: August 21, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) Leave a Comment

Tasty Mexican brown rice is a great addition to your weekly meal prep! It comes together so quickly in the Instant Pot you can also decide to make it last minute for Taco Tuesday.  Are you an Instant Pot lover too? Raise your hand in the air! When I first got my Instant Pot, I wasn't so sure about adding another "gadget" to my kitchen, one that might end up just collecting dust and taking up valuable space. Well, I can say that nearly 2 years later, that is certainly NOT the case! I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Real Food Recipes Tagged With: contributing, contributing writer, Instant Pot, Mexican, Real Food Recipes, rice

Who Else Needs an Easy, Healthy Breakfast? Make Ahead Egg Bites Recipe

March 19, 2018 (UPDATED: November 29, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 10 Comments

Do you struggle to get a healthy breakfast every day? We do. No matter how early we get up, mornings always seem rushed and getting real, wholesome, nourishing food in our bellies is a challenge! It's especially difficult for my husband, who gets up for work in the wee hours of the morning. He just doesn't have it in him to prepare ANYTHING in the morning (he is NOT a morning person), so his breakfast must truly be "Grab-and-Go". He also works a very physically demanding job, so I'm … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Real Food Recipes Tagged With: breakfast, contributing, contributing writer, eggs, healthy breakfast, Real Food Recipes

An Instant Pot Cheesecake Recipe You’ll Be Proud Of

February 5, 2018 (UPDATED: August 21, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 1 Comment

Oh, Instant Pot, how do I love thee? You have a special place in my heart and my kitchen. You've transformed and streamlined the way I cook. Brown rice, dry beans, hard-boiled eggs, steel-cut oats, steamed veggies... every day you delight me. And then... I discovered you can even make CHEESECAKE. *Swoon* Will you be my Valentine? :) An Amazing Discovery After I purchased my Instant Pot a few years ago, I joined a few Facebook forums for Instant Pot users... and quickly became more … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Real Food Recipes Tagged With: Christmas, contributing, contributing writer, desserts, Easter, Instant Pot, Valentine's Day

5 Easy Steps to Thrive Even When Life is Crazy

January 15, 2018 (UPDATED: July 5, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 1 Comment

Days, weeks, months, years... It all becomes a blur. One day, we pause and wonder "Where did all the time go? What am I doing with my life? How did I end up here?" We realize we've been operating in pure survival mode. Thriving? Ha! What does that even look like? Don't get me wrong. There are seasons of life where it takes everything we have simply to survive (like when Bethany was living with depression). I've been there. I know how exhausting it is to live that way. But what … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Natural Health Tagged With: contributing, contributing writer

The Perfect Last Minute Gift for the Real Foodie in Your Life!

December 18, 2017 (UPDATED: May 6, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 2 Comments

"Oh no!" "I forgot to buy a gift for___________!" Has this ever happened to you? That panicked feeling when you realize you TOTALLY forgot to put someone important on your gift giving list? And you don't have time to run to the store to purchase a gift or order one from Katie's Top 10 Kitchen Needs List or Useful Stocking Stuffers. Yeah... that happens more often than I like to admit! Luckily, I've found a perfect solution. I've discovered a DIY gift that any Kitchen Steward will … [Read more...]

Filed Under: “How-to” Do it Yourself, Gift Guides, How-to Tutorials Tagged With: contributing, contributing writer, gifts, homemade gifts

Top 10 Secrets to Maximizing Fruit and Veggie Nutrition

November 13, 2017 (UPDATED: June 12, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 3 Comments

Have you ever walked around the produce department of your grocery store and felt overwhelmed? Wandered the Farmer's Market and wondered how to choose from the vast selection? Felt frustrated because you don't know how to tell if something is ripe or what is the best way to prepare it? Me too. I believe strongly that "Food is Medicine" and it's my first line of defense for keeping my family healthy. Yet when I'm out shopping, I often struggle to know what foods are the best choices for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Finding Real Food, The Reviews Tagged With: book review, contributing, contributing writer, fruit, vegetables

How to Make Enchiladas That Your Family Will Love

November 1, 2017 (UPDATED: June 14, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) Leave a Comment

What can I say? Our family loves Mexican food! I really do try to vary our dinner options but somehow we end up eating some sort of Mexican inspired dish about 3 nights a week... and no one is complaining, so I'm going to go with it! When Robyn, our KS site editor, asked me if I wanted to try a sample of Zia Green Chile Company's Hatch Chiles, it was a no brainer. Umm, YES!!! I'll admit, I really didn't know what Hatch Chiles were, so I did a little research, which only made me want them … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Real Food Recipes Tagged With: contributing, contributing writer, dinner, Mexican

3 Easy Ways to Preserve Tomatoes (that Don’t Involve Canning!)

September 18, 2017 (UPDATED: May 22, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 6 Comments

Have you ever found yourself surrounded by a sea of tomatoes on your counter and wondered "What in the WORLD will I do with all these tomatoes?!?" I feel your pain! August and September on our farm are insanity. Seems like every day, there is more and MORE produce ripening that demands to be preserved! I have such a hard time dealing with food waste, so I'm always doing my best to make sure nothing goes to waste. Days are spent canning tomatoes - salsa, whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Food Preservation Tagged With: cherry tomatoes, contributing, contributing writer, tomato paste, tomatoes

Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes with Basil and Farmer’s Cheese Recipe

August 21, 2017 (UPDATED: May 6, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 1 Comment

Seems like every August, we find ourselves with a glut of cherry tomatoes from the garden and we're always looking for ways to use them up! We grow all sorts of lovely heirloom cherry tomatoes and they are a delight to the senses - beautiful AND incredibly flavorful. Katie has a great post on the different variety of tomatoes and their flavors in Tomatoes 101. This recipe (if you can call it that! It's really just something I made up) magically came together one day as I needed to make a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Real Food Recipes Tagged With: cheese, cheesemaking, cherry tomatoes, contributing, contributing writer, tomatoes

Salt Preserved Fresh Herbs: Simple Ingredients, Endless Possibilities

June 26, 2017 (UPDATED: May 22, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 3 Comments

Easy method to store and preserve fresh herbs using salt. Quick, affordable and a time saver for when you are ready to use them! Works for all kinds of herbs like cilantro, basil, sage, oregano, parsley and chives! Easy flavor boost for your homemade foods.

Summer is here, which means the gardens are coming to life...and it's time to start harvesting and preserving produce! Yes, I know it seems early, but on our farm some of the herbs are ready to be collected, mostly because of my "lazy gardening" method that I explain more fully in my post about "Back to Eden Gardening". RELATED: DIY Herbal Gift Recipes & Preserving Apples Every year, I let my cilantro plants go to seed in the garden, because as a good Kitchen Steward: 1. I'm much … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Food Preservation Tagged With: contributing, contributing writer, gardening, herbs, Organic Gardening, preserving

Want Backyard Chickens? Here Are 3 Things You Need to Know First!

May 22, 2017 (UPDATED: May 12, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 14 Comments

Raising chickens at home. What you need to know before getting started. From a farmer who loves her chickens.

I never knew I would fall in love with chickens. Look at them. You've got to admit they are a little freaky. They're twitchy, spastic and let's be honest - they are tiny feathered velociraptors. Imagine my surprise when I realized how hard I had fallen for these pea-brained birds. I'm well on my way to becoming a Crazy Chicken Lady! Like so many others, I fell under the spell of having backyard chickens. Seems like everywhere you turn, people are getting chickens. City folk, country folk, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: “How-to” Do it Yourself Tagged With: chicken, contributing, contributing writer, eggs, farmers

Secrets to Reducing Food Waste -It Starts in Your Kitchen!

April 17, 2017 (UPDATED: May 20, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 26 Comments

Easy steps to reduce food waste - food that was meant to be trash now saved for the food pantry! Stop buying food you don't know when you'll use and risk it going bad.

I stared at the towering boxes and stacks of produce in disbelief. "You mean to tell me, ALL of this was destined for the landfill?", I asked, my voice filled with shock. "Yup", the food pantry director answered. "Isn't it insane how much food is wasted? Thank goodness we managed to save this and now we can actually get it into the hands of people who need it." A Glimpse Into America's Broken Food System About 4 years ago, I started volunteering at my local food pantry a few … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Reducing Waste, Save the Earth Tagged With: contributing, contributing writer, recycling, reducing waste

Clever, Easy Solutions to get your Kids to do Chores

April 3, 2017 (UPDATED: September 27, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 13 Comments

Easy solutions to get your kids to help around the house by doing chores. Should you pay for chores? Reasons why and why not to and how it works for this family.

Chores are an important part of development. We've covered kitchen chores for a 5 year old. Today, we'll explore paying kids to do chores.  About 2 months ago, I had a serious panic moment. This spring, I will be expanding my farm business and working full time hours on the farm. In the midst of all the work of ordering seeds and supplies, creating spreadsheets and planting calendars, registering with state and federal entities, taking small business start-up classes, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Kitchen Tips, Organization, Save Time Tagged With: cleaning, contributing, contributing writer, kids, organization

How to Freeze Guacamole and Save Money

February 20, 2017 (UPDATED: December 20, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 32 Comments

How to freeze guacamole. Recipe and tips. Easily store storage bags by freezing flat.

Having avocados on hand is one of my secrets to making impromptu taco nights even better! With all their brain-boosting power, pairing it with some veggies also makes for a nutritional snack at school. Let me show you how to freeze guacamole to help you save both time and money. This post is by Contributing Writer Lori Hernandez from Three Acre Farm. We take Taco Night pretty seriously at the Hernandez Household. Our whole family looks forward to Taco Thursday with anticipation … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Food Preservation, Freezer Cooking, Save Money Tagged With: appetizer, appetizers, avocado, contributing, contributing writer, freezer, freezer cooking, guacamole, Mexican

Quick and Easy Jalapeño Popper Recipe

January 23, 2017 (UPDATED: May 9, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 6 Comments

Quick and easy jalapeño popper appetizer. This will make the best party food or appetizer during a football game. Make ahead and freeze so you always have them on hand. A great way to preserve extra jalapeños during gardening season. Easy snack option too!

This past September, I found myself staring at a half bushel of jalapeño peppers on my kitchen floor. I had to do something with them, and quick! I whipped out the canning pot and supplies, and canned more jars of pickled jalapeños than one family should ever need...and I still had countless peppers left. Then I remembered seeing a friend post something on Facebook about making and freezing jalapeño poppers. Was is actually possible? I had to try it! What a perfect … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Food Preservation, Freezer Cooking, Real Food Recipes Tagged With: appetizer, appetizers, contributing, contributing writer, gluten free, grain free, party food, Real Food Recipes, snack, snacks

The Secret Ingredient – Preparing Food with Love Really Makes a Difference

December 12, 2016 (UPDATED: May 6, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 18 Comments

Food prepared with love matters! It can bring you and your family joy and may even taste better!

I remember when cooking was something I dreaded, something I grudgingly forced myself to do everyday. It seemed like all I did all day long was prepare food, cook food, serve food, clean up food, wash dishes used for preparing food...over and over and OVER. Oh man...I KNOW some of you out there feel the same way! It felt thankless, exhausting, and discouraging. More often than not, I found myself slipping into despair and frustration, feeling resentment toward … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Personal Stories Tagged With: contributing, contributing writer, tips

Tour of My Real Food Kitchen (and Few of My Favorite Things!)

November 28, 2016 (UPDATED: June 13, 2019) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 30 Comments

Tour of a real food kitchen with storage and organization tips that are simple and practical

"The kitchen in the heart of the home." Can I get an "Amen!" my real foodie friends?!? Since making the switch from the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) to preparing and cooking real foods, the kitchen has easily become the most highly trafficked room in our home. It truly has become the heart and soul of our home...and even our whole lives! This is where I spend countless hours with my family, where my friends gather and linger, where everyone feels most comfortable. When we were … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Kitchen Tips Tagged With: contributing, contributing writer, organization

One Bad Day – Why We Need to Raise Animals Humanely

October 10, 2016 (UPDATED: May 12, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 26 Comments

Raising hogs humanely - doing our part to give animals the best life

"May all your animals live a glorious life, with just one bad day." - Joel Salatin October 6, 2010 - I was sitting in a church pew listening to my hero, Joel Salatin, speak to an enthusiastic audience, people eager to discover ways they could change the food system and advocate for more humane agriculture. As he finished his speech, Joel raised his hands in a benediction, blessing us and instructing us to go forth with our new knowledge to change the world. When he uttered the words in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: contributing, contributing writer, farmers, farming

Make Effortless Gardening a Reality

September 27, 2016 (UPDATED: May 11, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 35 Comments

Tips for a gardening method that makes it easier

I watch it happen every spring. Everywhere I go, I see families out in their gardens, filled with optimism and enthusiasm! I watch them labor and toil, rototilling the soil, raking, hoeing, digging, turning over earth until they have a nice, beautiful patch of bare soil. I watch them lovingly and tenderly place their garden plants in the ground. I watch them carefully placing seeds in tidy furrows. I watch them water the plants and seeds, filled with dreams about their future harvest. I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gardening Tagged With: contributing, contributing writer, evergreen, gardening, Organic Gardening

The System That Finally Worked…and it’s not Digital (Shhhh!)

August 22, 2016 (UPDATED: May 9, 2020) by Lori Hernandez (Contributing Writer) 31 Comments

the bullet journal organization system for hands-on people

I am an organized soul. Really, I am. Certainly my life and surroundings do not always reflect that, but it's something I'm constantly striving for - a sense of order, a sense of having a teeny bit of control over some small areas of my life. Running a household is serious work that requires serious planning and organization, especially if you are cooking and preparing real food. I don't take this role lightly. Without  structure and planing, we end up spending money on convenience … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Organization, Planning Makes Perfect, Save Time Tagged With: organization

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