If you've followed me for very long, you know I'm always looking for ways to make homemade convenience foods. I don't mind spending a little extra time in the kitchen if it means I can save time on those busy evenings when everyone is hungry and I need dinner on the table fast. One thing I could never bring myself to buy very often was Velveeta cheese. Have you ever looked at the ingredient list? It just wasn't something I wanted to keep in my pantry or could feel good about

This homemade hot chocolate pantry mix is one of those simple staples I always keep on hand and honestly, it’s one of my favorites too. It stores well, mixes up quickly, and is one of the first things my kids reach for when they want something warm and comforting. Why Make It Homemade? I like knowing exactly what goes into our food, especially treats. Making hot chocolate from scratch means no artificial flavors, no unnecessary fillers, and control over source and amount of s

Homemade bread is one of those things that sounds more time consuming than it really is. The project isn’t difficult...it’s the prep and cleanup that tend to stop people before they start. Pulling out flour, measuring several ingredients, and then cleaning the kitchen afterward can feel like a project. That’s exactly why I love keeping dry bread mixes made ahead and stored on the shelf . When everything is pre-measured and mixed in a jar, making bread becomes incredibly simpl

When the winter months set in, the project list at hand, changes from outdoors to indoors. This is a concentration of time, focused on cleaning, organizing and finishing up fall projects in the summer kitchen. Canning bone broth, rendering lard, canning dried beans, and other harvest that have been frozen in time until I could get to them. This leads up to the holidays, which is another shift in focus and also includes Christmas movies :) Now is the time of the winter that th