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This delicious plum sauce has the perfect blend of tangy, sweet, and spice! This recipe is an easy water bath canning recipe however, it can be stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks or frozen for up to 3 months. The recommended canning shelf life if stored properly in a cool, dark space is about one year. Yield: Approximately 9 half pints Jump to recipe This past October we were blessed with a bushel of fresh plums from a sweet friend. Looking for recipe inspiration, to Pinterest I went! I found multiple recipes for various plum sauces but none of them really fit the bill for what I thought we would really enjoy. I also didn’t want to can a large amount of a single use condiment. Finally, I decided an Asian Plum Sauce would be perfect because of its versatility but I wanted to amp the flavors up just a bit to our taste preferences. This plum sauce is full of complex flavors! The sweetness from the sugar and plums, the tang from the vinegar, and the bold spiciness from the ginger and pepper flakes, makes this the perfect pairing for glazed chicken or pork, as a dipping sauce on a charcuterie board or for homemade egg rolls, or in our new favorite recipe, Grilled Pork Chops with Asian Plum Sauce. For This Asian Plum Sauce Recipe, You Will Need: Fresh, ripe plums that are washed, pitted, and chopped. The riper the plums, the sweeter they will be. If the plums are not fully ripened, the sauce will have a tartier flavor. You can balance the tartness by adding additional sugar until you reach your desired taste. Leave the skins on the plums as this will provide a lot of natural pectin. You will also need granulated sugar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce or coconut aminos, molasses, ginger, fresh garlic, onion power, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg. This recipe calls for black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. You can make this to your desired heat level and adjust both as you wish. Prepare for Canning: To prepare jars for canning, I like to place my clean, room-temperature jars into my canning pot with room temperature water. I allow my jars and water to come to the same temperature at the same time. You don’t want boiling water; you’re just heating everything up. Place a clean kitchen towel on the counter space you intend to place your hot jars once removed from the canner. Once your sauce is ready for canning, carefully remove the jars from the pot using your canning jar lifter and empty the hot water back into the pot. Place the hot jars on the prepared kitchen towel and begin ladling in the sauce. Tips & Tricks for the Canning Process: If you have a water bath canner, you’ll want to use it here. I don’t have a separate canner for water bath canning, so I just use my pressure canner with the rack. However, I do not lock the lid in place and allow the canning lid to sit slightly ajar. If you don’t have a water bath or pressure canner, no worries! You can simply use a large stock pot with a makeshift rack. Your pot should be tall enough so that the water covers the jars. To make a DIY canning rack, you can simply tie five or six canning rings together and place your jars on top. If you have an Instant Pot rack you can use that instead. The main thing is you don’t want to place your jars directly inside the pot. Air and heat need to be able to circulate around the jars completely to ensure proper processing. When placing your rings onto the jars, you want to tighten them with just your fingertips. If the rings are too tight your lids will buckle and can result in an unsealed jar. If you don’t tighten them enough, the water can seep into your jar and ruin your product. After Processing: Once your Asian Plum sauce has completed the 15 minutes in the canner, remove the lid from the canner completely. Allow the jars to rest in the pot for about 5 minutes or so. This will allow them to adjust to having the lid taken off of the canner. Carefully remove the jars from the canner using your canning jar lifter and place on the prepared kitchen towel. Allow the jars to rest on the counter for 24 hours and listen for pops of the lids (my favorite part!). Remove the rings from the jars and gently press the center of the canning lid on each jar. If the lid pops back up, your lid didn't seal properly unfortunately. It happens! If it's just one jar, place that one in the refrigerator and use within a couple of weeks. If it's several jars, remove all of the lids, wipe the rims of the jars with vinegar, add new lids, and reprocess again in the canner. If your jars are all sealed properly (YAY!), use a little vinegar or soap and warm water to wipe the outside of the jars before storing. Store jars in a cool, dark place. Want to save this recipe for later? Pin it! Ingredients 6 pounds (approximately 48 small to medium-sized) fresh ripe plums, washed pitted and chopped 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup apple cider vinegar 6 Tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos 4 Tablespoons molasses 3 Tablespoon ginger, freshly grated 6 large cloves garlic, minced 3 teaspoons onion powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked ½ -1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated Directions Prepare canning jars, lids, and rings, and begin warming water in water bath canner. Place a kitchen towel on the counter space where you will place finished jars. In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring all ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 35 minutes or until the plums are soft. Using an immersion blender, blend sauce until smooth. Carefully, ladle sauce into prepared jars, leaving a ¼” headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a clean cloth or paper towel with a little vinegar. Place lids on jars and tighten rings “fingertip tight”. Carefully, place jars in prepared canner and process for 15 minutes. Remove jars to prepared kitchen towel and allow to rest 24 hours. Remove rings from jars and check lids for proper sealing. The center of the lid should not pop back when pressed on and the lid should be secure. Wipe the outside of jars with vinegar or with soap and warm water to remove any residue before storing. Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today!

During a time when people were struggling with finances, concerned about food supply chains, and the devastation of watching loved ones go off to war, there were glimmers of optimism, patriotism, and mindfulness. How could any sort of positivity be found with so much uncertainty happening in the world, both at home and abroad? It came in the form of a small garden, known as the Victory Garden. The Victory Garden program was heavily promoted by the United States government first during World War I and later during World War II, as an effort to conserve commercially produced, non-perishable food being exported to the troops in war zones and to alleviate the risk of food shortages here at home. Charles Lathrop Pack organized the National War Garden Commission, which urged Americans to “do their part” by growing as much produce at home as possible. (1) While men were sent off to war, 3 million farming jobs were left vacant. Members of the Women’s Land Army of America (WLAA) filled those jobs by working in both urban and rural farms and gardens. Women’s universities such as Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Vassar, and Barnard College began offering students training in how to work in agriculture settings. These trainings offered lectures, workshops, and hands-on training at local farms. It's estimated that 20,000 women took part in the WLAA in the 40 states that offered programming. (2) Victory Gardens were more than just a perceived patriotic duty though. They encouraged sustainability, promoted self-sufficiency, and helped boost morale. By the end of World War II in 1944, Victory Gardens had produced approximately 8 tons of fresh fruits and vegetables and provided America with 40% of the nation’s produce. (3) Three reasons to start your own Victory Garden Food Security If we take a look around us, it isn’t hard to see that the world we live in has its problems. Just a couple of years ago, we saw firsthand just how much we rely on stable food supply chains. For many, it was eye-opening and served as a call to action. Victory Gardens are once again in bloom, though some of us just call it “backyard gardening”. There's a peace of mind that comes along with growing your own produce. Quality & Control There's been an uptick of those not only concerned with the ingredients and production practices of commercially produced food but also those who wish to get back to the simplicity of what food is; Back to a time when meat was meat and fruit was fruit. As a working mom, I completely understand the want for convenience items. Quick snacks that can be taken along to an extracurricular activity, or dinner that can be ready in 10 minutes are definitely easier and less stressful, but at what cost to our health? Mental Health Life is stressful. We juggle jobs, kids, relationships, and other obligations around the clock, and it can begin to take its toll. Gardening has become known to have powerful effects on the body and mind. Gardening is empowering; it helps to build physical strength, can improve motor functioning, helps ease stress, and can help encourage positive mental well-being. There's actually scientific evidence that the bacterium found in soil can help to stimulate serotonin production in our brains. The short version, playing in the dirt, can make us happier and feel more relaxed. (4) Planting your own Victory Garden doesn’t have to take up a lot of space, time, or money. You can plant in flowerpots, food-safe 5-gallon buckets like I started with in 2021 here, in raised beds like I have now, or in small, elevated beds. To completely control, and not only know what you’re eating, but to know exactly where it came from and the conditions in how it was grown is worth its weight in gold in peace of mind. Growing your own food can also help alleviate stress when there’s a kink in the food supply chain. Some of our favorite things to grow are potatoes, onions, garlic, lettuce, kale, tomatoes, squash, carrots, and broccoli. I've purchased seeds from my local dollar stores, big box stores, local nurseries, and online. I've had success and lessons with all of them. You can read more about our gardening experiences here. We also like to preserve our harvests, which you can read more about here. If you are interested in starting your own Victory Garden at home, I recommend you plan out your ideas on a planning sheet like this one. Sources (1) https://library.si.edu/exhibition/cultivating-americas-gardens/gardening-for-the-common-good (2) https://www.womenshistory.org/resources/general/womens-land-army-world-war-i (3) https://gardens.si.edu/gardens/victory-garden/ (4) https://endeavors.org/uncategorized/the-benefits-of-gardening-for-mental-and-physical-health/ Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today!

Jump to recipe Who doesn’t love homemade fried chicken? This recipe may seem tedious, but it really comes together pretty quickly, and all of that hard work pays off with every crunchy bite! I like to serve this with my homemade fried potato chips, and a fresh-from-the-garden salad with homemade buttermilk ranch dressing. This recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight! Want to save this recipe for later? Pin it! Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, this Buttermilk Fried Chicken recipe is sure to please everyone at your table! Each bite starts with a wonderful crunch that can only be achieved by a double dip into the buttermilk marinade and seasoned flour mixture, followed by the flavor combination of just the right spices. I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can certainly use your preference. The buttermilk will help the chicken soak up all of that tangy goodness and helps to make it extra tender. To make this marinade, I like to use basic pantry ingredients like salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. For the breading you’ll need all-purpose flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and turmeric. I love using turmeric when making fried chicken because it really helps give the coating that delicious golden color. Ingredients (serves 6) 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise Marinade: 2 cups buttermilk 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground paprika ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon onion powder Breading: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup cornmeal 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon turmeric ½ to 1 cup vegetable oil Directions In a large bowl, combine all marinade ingredients. Add chicken to the mixture, pressing each piece into the liquid to ensure all are well coated. Cover bowl with a plate, plastic wrap, or lid. Store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour but no longer than 24 hours. In a large bowl, add all breading ingredients and stir to combine. Using a fork or a pair of tongs, remove one piece of chicken from the marinade bowl and place into flour mixture. Cover all sides with flour mixture, then, place the floured chicken back into the marinade bowl and quickly recoat with buttermilk. Return chicken to the flour mixture for a second coating, then place on a plate until all chicken pieces have been double coated with buttermilk and flour mixtures. Place chicken back in refrigerator and allow approximately 10-15 minutes before moving forward. This short resting period will help solidify the breading ingredients allowing it to stick to the chicken during the cooking process. In a large pan over medium-high heat, add oil and allow approximately 1-2 minutes for the oil to become hot. Carefully, add one piece of coated chicken to the pan at a time. You may need to work in batches if all of your chicken pieces do not fit in the pan. Don't overcrowd your pan. Fry chicken on each side for approximately 3-6 minutes depending on the thickness of chicken or until the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees. Transfer cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined plate or a wire rack over a baking sheet and allow to cool for approximately 5-10 minutes before serving. Leftovers are rare in our house but if you should be so lucky, try them on my honey butter yeast rolls for a delicious chicken sandwich! Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know in the comments below! Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today!

There are many reasons why parents choose to homeschool their children. According to the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, the number one reason 80% of parents choose to homeschool is due to  a concern about the environment of other schools. However, other reasonings are due to dissatisfaction with academic instruction, the desire to include religious beliefs, and a desire to provide a nontraditional approach to learning. (1) There are different ways to homeschool and what is “best” for one family may not be ideal for another. So how do you know which method to go with? Begin listing the key goals you hope to accomplish by homeschooling. Are you looking for more flexibility and a less stressful learning environment? Do you want to instill a value system in your child’s education? Many questions like these can be answered simply by figuring out what is most important to you as a parent and educator and what will best help your child learn and grow. So, what methods of homeschooling are available and what are the pros and cons to each? Let’s take a look at the 5 most common. Traditional Homeschooling Traditional Homeschooling is a method many parents use when they are withdrawing their child from a traditional school setting. This method attempts to keep things moving in a structured and orderly timeframe similar to that of public and private school environments. Some of the pros with traditional homeschooling are there are several curriculum sets that are set up to help get you started right away and have teacher’s manuals available to assist parents with teaching the curriculum. Traditional homeschooling offers a predictability that may help students and parents stay on track because the parent can easily assess their child’s progress. One of the possible cons of traditional homeschooling is that it can take the fun out of learning because it is so structured. It can also be difficult to find the right fit for both student and parent. Another con with traditional schooling is that all-in-one curriculums can be expensive if purchasing brand new. If you’re looking to save some money, (and who isn’t?) try looking for used curriculums in your local homeschool community or online used bookstores. (2) Montessori Method Named after the late 19 th century Italian educator, Dr. Maria Montessori, this approach places an emphasis unique individuality of each child who’s creativity and curiosity is encouraged. Students are invited to learn through play by having activities and learning tools readily and easily accessible to them. Many families with young children opt for this learning style as it lends itself to learning early on positive social and learning behaviors, hands-on learning, and self-regulation. One of the possible cons is that this method is specifically designed for younger children and likely wouldn't hold the attention of an older child. The Montessori method is also a loosely structured program, and it can be difficult to find a good rhythm for repetition. (3) Charlotte Mason Method This method was created by British educator, Charlotte Mason at the turn of the 20th century. During a time when quality education was offered to only those in upper classes, Mason believed that all children, regardless of social class deserved equal education. Built on a Christian worldview, knowledge of scripture is at the forefront followed by classic literature and nature studies. One of the possible pros for this method is it places a heavy emphasis on the Christian religion. Of course, if your family follows a different religion or would rather a secular curriculum, this likely would not be a good fit. This method relies on a vast reading library which can become expensive and may become boring to a child who wishes to have more hands-on learning. (4) Unschooling While several of the homeschool learning methods are structured and have set curricula, unschooling is the polar opposite. Its name may suggest that there is no learning happening at all but that isn’t the case. Unschooling places a huge emphasis on “natural learning” or child-led learning, meaning the studies follow whatever the child’s interests are. Learning takes place by way of experiences such as field trips, activities that are hands-on, and allow the child to explore their curiosities. While unschooling is flexible and customizable to each child, it lacks structure and accountability which can lead to stagnation. (5) Unit Studies This method is based on single theme learning and studies are built around that theme to create a unit. All subjects are intertwined into the central theme to create a holistic approach by learning each theme in depth which can help with retention. Unit Studies are customizable and can be taught to children of various ages and grade levels at the same time, which is a plus if you have a large family. This can help to alleviate a lot of stress because the parent’s prep time is drastically reduced. There's no set curriculum to follow, so lesson plans and materials will need to be planned ahead of time for each concept. Depending on your theme, it can be difficult to find just the right resources to meet your child’s educational needs. However, the lack of set curricula allows you to spend as much or as little time on a subject as you desire. (6) In our home, we combine different methods. For our 9th grader who prefers online learning, we add in art classes like graphic design, hands-on science experiments, and additional reading from the Charlotte Mason library. For our 5th grader who prefers workbooks for the core subjects, we add in unit studies, additional reading, and unschooling methods by way of crochet and piano classes. You can read more about our homeschooling experiences here: Homeschooling: Finding the Answer to Your "Why?" Homeschooling with Unit Studies If you have been thinking about homeschooling and the doubts have held you back, please know that YOU CAN DO THIS! No one knows your child, loves your child, and understands your child better than you. If you start a curriculum and you both hate it, change it. Even if you have only completed a few pages of the book - switch things up! The beauty of homeschooling is the flexibility of what, when, where, and how you teach. Sources 1) https://responsiblehomeschooling.org/research/summaries/reasons-parents-homeschool/ 2) https://classicalconversations.com/blog/homeschool-methods-explained/#:~:text=Traditional%20homeschooling%20typically%20involves%20the,to%20employ%20a%20premade%20program. 3) https://amshq.org/About-Montessori/What-Is-Montessori 4) https://simplycharlottemason.com/what-is-the-charlotte-mason-method/ 5) https://www.naturalchild.org/articles/guest/earl_stevens.html 6) https://homeschool-curriculum.org/homeschool-unit-studies/ Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today!

Just when I was starting to get the hang of homeschooling our oldest daughter, I became pregnant with our second daughter. Homeschooling through pregnancy was rough. I was exhausted all the time and I was diagnosed (again) with hyperemesis gravidarum. We had to readjust our homeschool routine a bit, and it basically revolved around naps and sickness. But we managed to get it done and still enjoy the creativity and flexibility that homeschooling offers. I quickly learned the hard part was not being pregnant, or even trying to homeschool with a newborn in tow. No, friends, the hard part was when that baby was walking, grabbing things, and needed all of my attention, all of the time. Once again, we needed to readjust our homeschool routine. First, I enlisted the help of our oldest daughter, who was 4 at the time. I would ask her to pick out two or three board books that we could all read together. She really enjoyed doing this and took finding the right books very seriously. Next, I would have both girls snuggle up close to me and we would read the books together. During our reading, I would ask them both questions about the pictures and the story. Afterward, I would look up 3 or 4 fun songs on Youtube to help us get moving. Roku and Amazon Fire Stick are perfect additions for homeschooling, but you could even just turn on the radio or make up your own fun songs. Here is a list of our favorite YouTube channels: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=super+simple+songs https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=baby+genius https://www.youtube.com/c/KIBOOMU Once we were wide awake and got the wiggles out of the way, we would move on to schoolwork. Even my one-year-old had her own work to do. I would help my oldest understand directions or answer any questions she had, then give a simple activity to my youngest to do. Activities ranged from picking up plastic Easter eggs and putting them in a basket, finding things in the I-Spy bag I made, or using plastic tongs to pick up pompoms. Whatever the activity, I made sure to let her know “This is schoolwork” and to make it fun. My goal was for her to associate the two (schoolwork = fun). I know what you're thinking, or at least what I would be thinking, “Giving a one-year-old schoolwork?!?” The work itself wasn't my concern. My expectation was that she would feel included in our day. My expectation was that I would help her love learning. My expectation was that she would feel proud of herself. And let me tell you friends, my expectations were most definitely met. That one-year-old learned so many things by doing those simple activities. She learned hand-eye coordination, independent playing skills, sensory development, and gross motor skills. Each day we continued to build upon those skills. That one-year-old baby is now 9. She has grown up with a love of learning and with empathy and kindness for others. She is beyond all my expectations, and I could not be more proud of her. It's important to include your younger children in the homeschool day. Not only is it beneficial for them, but for the older children as well. My oldest daughter learned patience, critical thinking skills, and emotion regulation while I helped my youngest daughter with whatever she needed. It's okay if you or your children need to take multiple breaks. It's okay if all the work you had planned for the day didn’t get done. Remember, homeschooling allows creativity and flexibility. Know your reasons for homeschooling and understand your “why” and give yourself some grace. Here are some of my daughter’s favorite toddler activities: I purchased an insect kit and pompoms from the dollar store. I made an I-spy kit using items I found around the house, and stored them in a Ziploc bag with duct tape. Using a pipe cleaner and a few Cheerios, she made a bird feeder. I made sure she was included in any science experiments. And there was lots of painting. We used everything from forks and cotton swabs to marbles and aluminum foil. There are millions of ideas available on Pinterest and other corners of the internet. Just pick a couple to start with, and then mix it up every week or so. What works one week may not be your child’s favorite the next. And that's okay! Pick something new and move forward! Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today!

Whether you are new to homeschooling or have been in the game for a while, there is one question that you will be asked repeatedly. “Why do you homeschool?” This is usually followed by rapid-fire follow-up questions like, “Are you going to send them to public school when they reach high school?” and the ever-popular, “What about socialization?” In the beginning, when I was really new to homeschooling, I would become flustered with these types of questions, and my words would seem to get lost. Around year three, I would become annoyed and answer with a simple “Because it’s great.” Now that we’re almost ten years in, I am typically more even-tempered and prepared in my responses. Sometimes it’s tough to answer these personal questions patiently and thoughtfully. After all, this is your family’s decision - what does it matter to anyone else? The truth is, it actually matters a lot. Whether you like it or not, you and your child(ren) are now the face of homeschooling for those that know your family. Friends, family, neighbors, and the like are now watching to see what this homeschooling business is all about. You can bet there will be judgments, impromptu quizzes, and questions being asked that you don’t know the answers to yet. But, if you know your “why”, the questions no longer matter. Your purpose and your reasons are enough. Our oldest daughter was just a couple days shy of meeting the mandatory birthday cutoff to start kindergarten in 2014. Out of frustration, I said to my husband “I’ll just homeschool her.” I had no clue how to homeschool, or what the laws for my state were. I didn't even know anyone who homeschooled. Thank goodness for the internet! I researched everything! I looked up the laws for my state, which are actually pretty conducive to homeschooling. I searched for local homeschool groups on Facebook and asked a ton of questions. I looked at different curriculums and scoured Pinterest for hours. There was just so much to know! And then, I became overwhelmed. The negative thoughts started running through my head. “Can I really do this?” “What if my child doesn’t learn anything or gets behind?” So I put the whole thing on the back burner. A couple of days later I was playing outside with my daughter. She was helping me pull weeds from the garden bed and enjoyed showing me all of the rocks she found. As I worked, we talked about the rocks' shapes and colors, how the word rock starts with the letter R, and the sound the letter R makes. She then said, “What else starts with R, Momma?” I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at her little face. I’d been teaching her the whole time I was pulling weeds from the dirt. She was learning and wanted to know more. Of course, I could do this! It was what we had already been doing since she was born, teaching. That evening I looked around our house for things that began with the letter R. I found a roll of red ribbon that we could use for measuring. I found a page in a coloring book of a little girl reading that my daughter had yet to color. And of course, the rocks she found outside. We were getting somewhere! The next day we visited our local dollar store and picked up a writing tablet. On one page I wrote the letters of the alphabet and on another, I wrote numbers. I then had my daughter trace over them. That’s it. That is how our homeschool journey began. No fancy curriculums. No stress for either of us. Just fun playing and learning, together. I am proud to say that she is now in the eighth grade and we still homeschool. She is currently working on her Silver Award in Girl Scouts, she’s in a competitive homeschool robotics group and has several close friends. When people say, “You’re homeschooled?” She very proudly says “Yep, and it’s awesome!” Our list of reasons why we homeschool is probably a mile long by now. But, at the top of the list, always, is “To do what is best for our child, as a student and as an individual.” There may come a time when homeschooling is not what our children need. Or maybe one child will later thrive in a school environment, while the other continues to thrive at home. We'll see what happens. So, what is your “why”? What is it that you and your family hope to gain from homeschooling? What tangible goals can you set for your child’s homeschool year? Maybe your child needs more than a couple of weeks to thoroughly understand a topic of study. Maybe you have a desire to incorporate your religion into your school day. Maybe the violence in schools keeps you up at night and you just want to keep your baby safe. Whatever your reasons, you decide what is best for your child and your family. When we know in our heart our “why” the answer comes quickly. If you have been thinking about homeschooling and the doubts have held you back, please know that YOU CAN DO THIS. No one knows your child, loves your child and understands your child better than you. If you start a curriculum and you both hate it, change it. Even if you have only worked a few pages of the book - switch things up. The beauty of homeschooling is the flexibility of what, when, where, and how you teach. There are so many resources available to help you not only get started but to help you along your journey. It’s very common to feel overwhelmed, but the majority of homeschool communities are willing to answer any questions and help lead you in the right direction. You can also reach out to me here and I will do my best to help. Just know your “why” and the rest will fall into place. Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today!

Hey there! We are so happy you found your way here. My name is Brianne. I am a wife, mother, social worker, and now… blogger and content creator. Where We Came From For 13 years, my husband and I made our little 1200-square-foot starter house a home. During our time there, we welcomed our daughters, I went to college, and we lived on one very modest income. Through a lot of trial and error, I was able to find ways to save money, create homemade recipes we enjoyed, and make our house into a home. Where We Have Been In 2019, we both worked full-time, we homeschooled, and our girls were in many extracurricular activities. Like many of us, when Covid-19 hit, almost everything stopped. Because of my field, I still needed to be in-person and my husband began working from home. During this time we were able to evaluate and rediscover what it was we truly wanted for our family. Being busy, stressed, and overworked were not the things we were striving for, yet there we were - completely burned out. By the end of 2020, we were both able to find new jobs that offered a better work/life balance. We were able to breathe. We were able to spend more quality time with our girls and each other. It was a new start. Where We Are Now In 2021 we were blown away by the housing market and finally had an opportunity to buy a house with a 4th bedroom. Did anyone else suddenly need a home office in 2020? As first-time home buyers all those years ago, we didn’t know what we didn’t know. After spending so many years in our first home, the list of what we wanted and needed in our next one became very clear. Not just in terms of space, but what we’d hoped to use the space for. My husband needed a separate room for a home office and hoped for a garage he could tinker around in. Our previous backyard had a large slope, so I wanted a yard the girls (and dogs) could actually play in. I hoped for a kitchen that offered enough space for both me and the girls to be able to work together in. Thankfully, it all worked out. Now that we had the space we needed and we could relax a bit, I knew it was time to get back to the simpler things. To me, that meant cooking at home more, learning new life skills, and focusing on our time being well spent. We have had to learn to say “No” to taking on things that aren’t a necessity or don’t add substantial value to ourselves and our family. Where We Are Going This past year, I finally got up the courage to do two things that I have always wanted to try: Canning and Gardening. I always found them both to be so intimidating and they required so much research to do properly. I am a “jump in with both feet” kind of person, so reading how-to books for hours on end did not seem appealing to me. So I knew I had to start small. I read a few books, I watched A LOT of YouTube and leaned on those who knew those worlds. The learning process and the trial and error were indeed tedious, but so worth it. The simple act of planting a few seeds just to see what happens and watching that turn into food for my family had me hooked. As this was my first year I had a lot of failures. All of my tomato plants died. All seven of them. But I was able to get quite a few zucchini and peppers. So, not bad for someone who knew very little about it all. My lessons in canning were more successful. I started with something pretty easy, beans. Worked out great. Next up, a mixed berry jam. Delicious! I was feeling great, so I made a pizza sauce that turned out fantastic. My confidence grew and I was ready to can all of the things! I went back to one of my local farmers’ markets and purchased a 30-pound box of big slicer tomatoes. I was going to make so much spaghetti sauce - I was pumped and ready to go! I followed the recipe in my Ball cookbook and everything was going as planned. But then I noticed my sauce was not as pretty as it was when I made the pizza sauce. What had I done wrong?! Those of you who are not beginners already know. The tomatoes. I used different tomatoes. The pizza sauce had beautiful Roma tomatoes. My spaghetti sauce, on the other hand, had a much more watery variety. Fortunately, I learned a couple of tricks to help it get to the consistency I wanted. So here we are, still learning. Where I Hope To Be I get a lot of inspiration from some of my favorite YouTubers. One day I thought, “What a blessing it is for those ‘YouTube Moms’ to have documentation of their recipes and gardening experience for their children”. It really made me think about the recent passing of my own mom. I hope for this blog to serve as a tangible collection of my favorite recipes and gardening ramblings for my girls. Thanks for coming over! Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today!

I haven’t found an entrée yet that this simple side dish didn’t complement! Try adding them in my Ground Beef & Ramen Korean Bowl for a flavorful all-in-one dish! Want to save this recipe for later? Pin it! Ingredients ½ pound *stringless sugar snap peas, trimmed ½ white onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tablespoons Infused oil ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon sea salt Directions In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add onions to 1 tablespoon of infused oil. Sauté onions for approximately 8-10 minutes or until they become tender. Add garlic and sauté for approximately 1-2 minutes or until it becomes fragrant. Add additional tablespoon of infused oil if needed and add peas to the pan. Sauté peas for approximately 5-7 minutes or until they become blistered on each side but not burned. Season with pepper and sea salt. *Note: If unable to use stringless sugar snap peas, be sure to trim the ends and remove the fibrous string in the pea pod. Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today!

Jump to Recipe Meatloaf is definitely a classic, but did you know that it was originally served for breakfast? During the 1870s New Englanders wanted to utilize the cheaper cuts of their cattle. A few spices, eggs, and milk-soaked bread were added, and meatloaf was created! You can learn more about the history of meatloaf here. The classic meatloaf we know, and love today really hasn’t veered too far off its original course. The use of affordable, simple ingredients continues to make this budget-friendly recipe a family favorite. I like to prepare the loaf early in the day (or even the night before), cover it with plastic wrap or foil, then bake when ready. Why not make one for now and one for later? Make the most of your time in the kitchen by making an additional meatloaf for an easy freezer meal. Place the prepared loaf (uncooked) into a freezer-safe baking dish and cover securely. When ready to bake, place the dish into your refrigerator for at least 24 hours and allow to thaw completely. To save space in my freezer, I like to store in these glass Pyrex bread pans. Ingredients (Serves: 6-8) 2 pounds lean ground beef (85%-93%) 1 large egg 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce 2 Tablespoons ketchup ½ - ¾ cup Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs 1 Tablespoon dried Oregano 1 Tablespoon dried Basil 1 Tablespoon dried Chili Powder 1 Tablespoon dried Smoked Paprika ½ Tablespoon dried Parsley ½ Tablespoon Onion powder ½ Tablespoon Garlic Powder ½ Tablespoon ground Black Pepper 1 Tablespoon Salt Glaze 1 cup Ketchup 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce 1 Teaspoon dried Oregano 1 Teaspoon dried Basil 1 teaspoon dried Chili Powder ¼ teaspoon Parsley ¼ teaspoon Onion powder ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder ¼ teaspoon ground Black Pepper ¼ teaspoon Salt Directions for Meatloaf Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all ingredients together. In a 9x13 baking dish, form mixture into a loaf (approximately 3-4 inches wide by 7-8 inches long). Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes. Directions for Glaze Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients until well combined. Spoon mixture onto baked meatloaf and spread to make an even layer. Place covered meatloaf back into the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Allow cooked meatloaf to rest 10-15 minutes before slicing. Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today!

Freshly ripe peaches are turned into delicious homemade Peach Butter, making summertime so much sweeter! Jump to Recipe We are knee-deep into food preservation this week, friends! I mentioned in my Spicy Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe and my recipe for Double Chocolate Orange Zucchini Muffins how I recently scored a great deal on some fresh, local produce from a nearby farm. My kitchen has been going non-stop for the last couple of weeks, preserving all of those yummy fruits and vegetables! We’ve made our Zesty Peach BBQ Sauce, and now it's time for Homemade Peach Butter! I use this recipe found in my Ball canning cookbook which you can find here. So, what is Peach Butter anyway, you ask? Unlike its peachy cousins, jam, jelly, and preserves, fruit butters are typically made with the pulp of the fruit that's cooked down into a concentrated spread. The final product results in a silky, smooth consistency. Jelly is often made only with the juice of the fruit and while it is more spreadable than jam, it isn’t as smooth as fruit butter. Jams and preserves have larger bits of fruit which results in a thicker, chunkier product. All are absolutely delicious, and all have their place in my pantry! One way I like to use this summertime favorite is in my Peach Butter Waffles or as a topping on homemade buttermilk pancakes. Warm Peach Butter is phenomenal as an ice cream topping or mixed in a bowl of oatmeal. Peach Butter is even fantastic in its simplicity on a piece of homemade bread! Yield: About Eight 8-ounce jars or Four Pint Jars Ingredients 4 ½ pounds fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped ½ cup water Juice and zest of one lemon 4 cups granulated sugar Prepare for Canning: To prepare jars for canning, I like to place my clean, room-temperature jars into my canning pot with room-temperature water. I allow my jars and water to come to the same temperature at the same time. You don’t want boiling water; you’re just heating everything up. Place a clean kitchen towel on the counter space where you intend to place your hot jars once removed from the canner. Once your sauce is ready for canning, carefully remove the jars from the pot using your canning jar lifter and empty the hot water back into the pot. Place the hot jars on the prepared kitchen towel and begin ladling in the sauce. Tips & Tricks for the Canning Process: If you have a water bath canner, you’ll want to use it here. I don’t have a separate canner for water bath canning, so I just use my pressure canner with the rack. However, I do not lock the lid in place and allow the canning lid to sit slightly ajar. If you don’t have a water bath or pressure canner, no worries! You can simply use a large stock pot with a makeshift rack. Your pot should be tall enough so that the water covers the jars. To make a DIY canning rack, you can simply tie five or six canning rings together and place your jars on top. If you have an Instant Pot rack you can use that instead. The main thing is you don’t want to place your jars directly inside the pot. Air and heat need to be able to circulate around the jars completely to ensure proper processing. When placing your rings onto the jars, you want to tighten them with just your fingertips. If the rings are too tight your lids will buckle and can result in an unsealed jar. If you don’t tighten them enough, the water can seep into your jar and ruin your product. Directions You'll want to begin by preparing the peaches. After washing the peaches with cool water, boil them in a large stainless-steel stockpot for approximately 1-2 minutes until the skins become loose. Remove peaches from hot water and quickly rinse under cold water. The skins should slide right off pretty easily. Coarsely chop the peaches, then drain the water from your pot. To a large stainless-steel stockpot, combine peaches, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until peaches are soft, about 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree just until a uniform texture is achieved. You don't want a liquid mixture; it should still have some thickness to it. Measure out 8 cups of peach puree. In a clean large stainless-steel saucepan, combine peach puree and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens and holds its shape on a spoon. Ladle hot butter into hot jars, leaving ¼ headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust the headspace if needed by adding more hot butter. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Place jars in canner, ensuring they're completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool for at least 24 hours, remove band, and store. After Processing: Once your Peach Butter has completed the 15 minutes in the canner, remove the lid from the canner completely. Allow the jars to rest in the pot for about 5 minutes or so. This will allow them to adjust to having the lid taken off of the canner. Carefully remove the jars from the canner using your canning jar lifter and place on the prepared kitchen towel. Allow the jars to rest on the counter for 24 hours and listen for pops of the lids (my favorite part). Remove the rings from the jars and gently press the center of the canning lid on each jar. If the lid pops back up, your lid did not seal properly, unfortunately. It happens! If it's just one jar, place that one in the refrigerator and use it within a couple of weeks. If it's several jars, remove all of the lids, wipe the rims of the jars with vinegar, add new lids, and reprocess again in the canner. If your jars are all sealed properly (YAY!), use a little vinegar or soap and warm water to wipe the outside of the jars before storing. Store jars in a cool, dark place. If you enjoyed this delicious Homemade Peach Butter recipe, would you let us know in the comments below? We’d love to hear from you! Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today!

These soft and buttery yeast rolls are simple enough to add to your casual weekday dinner and beautiful enough to add to your holiday spread! Yield: 12 Rolls Jump to recipe If you’re a novice baker like me, making delicious, homemade yeast rolls may have you feeling a little out of your comfort zone. This recipe is so easy you’ll feel like a pro when you take that first delicious bite. These Honey Butter Yeast Rolls are light, fluffy, and buttery with just the right amount of sweetness, you’ll be making them all of the time! For this Honey Butter Yeast Rolls recipe, you will need: Flour I used organic, unbleached all-purpose flour for this recipe, but you could certainly use a gluten free option. To ensure accurate flour measurements, use a spoon to add the flour to your measuring cup and level if off with a flat edge, like the back of a butterknife. Salt This simple ingredient may not seem like much, but it is so important! In order to form strong strands of gluten, salt is needed to help hold the carbon dioxide, which is a by product of the fermentation process. If you’ve ever ended up with dough that didn’t hold its shape well, it’s likely because the gluten strands weren’t strong enough. If you find this as fascinating as I do, you can read more about it here. Raw Honey When it comes to sweeteners, raw honey tops the list with the most nutrients and vitamins. Unlike refined sugar, honey’s proportion of fructose to glucose has a lower glycemic index, meaning that it can help avoid the spike and subsequent crash in blood sugar. (1) Butter We love the richness real butter adds to baked goods, but you can certainly replace the butter with a neutral oil like olive oil or avocado oil. For this recipe, you’ll need about 3 Tablespoons of oil. Milk I use whole milk for this recipe because it has a higher fat content which helps to add richness to the overall flavor profile. You could also use 2% milk if you want to reduce the fat content but still keep the richness whole milk offers. Instant Dry Yeast The main ingredient that makes these rolls quick and easy is the use of instant dry yeast. I like the use of instant dry yeast in this recipe because of the consistency I get in the final product. Egg One large egg helps to give the dough structure. You can make these Honey Butter Yeast Rolls in just a few simple steps! First, you’ll need to heat one cup of milk to a temperature of 110 degrees. Next, add instant dry yeast to the warm milk. You’ll want to ensure that the milk is at the correct temperature. If it is too hot, it could kill the yeast. If it isn’t warm enough, it may not activate. Instant dry yeast can tolerate a heat level of 130 degrees F. But 110 degrees F is recommended for this recipe. Allow the yeast to rest for approximately 5-7 minutes or until it is bubbly. While waiting for the yeast to become active, combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, slowly add the yeast and milk mixture, honey, and 2 Tablespoons of melted butter to the bowl of flour and salt. Allow the mixer to work on low speed for approximately 5 minutes or until the dough comes together and begins to pull away from the bowl. Do not overmix. Continue to knead the dough for approximately 2-3 minutes. Cover the bowl with a warm, damp dish towel and allow dough to rise for approximately 1 hour. Punch down the dough to release any air. Then remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 12 equal parts and form into a ball form. Placed the dough balls into a lightly greased 9x13 baking sheet. Cover with a warm, damp dish towel and allow to rise again for approximately 30-45 minutes or until they double in size. Whisk one large egg to create an egg wash. Brush each roll with egg wash. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake on the lowest oven rack uncovered for approximately 20-22 minutes. Let’s make some Honey Butter Yeast Rolls! Ingredients 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour 1 1/2 Teaspoon Salt ¼ cup Honey plus 2 Tablespoons 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted and divided 1 cup Whole Milk 2 Tablespoons or 1 Packet Instant Dry Yeast 2 Large Eggs Non-stick spray Directions In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat milk until it reaches a temperature of 110 degrees. The temperature of the liquid is super important! If it's too hot, it could kill the yeast. If it isn’t warm enough, it may not activate. Add instant dry yeast to warm milk. Allow to rest for approximately 5-7 minutes or until yeast is bubbly. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Using a stand mixer with dough hook attachment, slowly add in yeast/milk mixture, honey, 1 large egg and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Use a low setting to gently work ingredients into a dough; approximately 5 minutes. Do not overmix. Cover bowl with a cotton dishtowel and allow dough to rise; approximately 15-20 minutes. Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces and form into a loose ball form. Place dough balls into a lightly greased 9x13 baking sheet. Allow dough balls to rise a second time by placing a warm, damp dish towel over them for approximately 30-45 minutes or until they have doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, gently whisk 1 large egg to create an egg wash. Remove dishtowel and brush egg wash onto the top of each roll. Bake rolls on the bottom oven rack and uncovered for approximately 20-22 minutes or until tops are golden brown and center is cooked through. Top each roll with the remaining melted butter and drizzle with additional honey if desired. If you enjoyed this Honey Butter Yeast roll recipe, we want to hear from you in the comments below! Did you know that we have a newsletter? It features some of our favorite recipes and free printables that are only available to our subscribers! And don’t worry, we hate spam mail and value your time. You’ll receive an initial thank you email, and our newsletter is delivered monthly. You can help our small family business by sharing us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Click here to sign up for our newsletter today! Sources: 1) https://bestbees.com/2023/01/16/benefits-of-honey/

Homemade extracts are easy to make yourself and are a simple way to add a layer of flavoring that can't be found in store-bought products. Try using this homemade peach extract in my Peach Butter Waffles recipe! Be sure to pin this post to refer back to it later! Ingredients 4 peaches, chopped 16 ounces Vodka (80 proof) Pint jar with secure lid Directions Combine peaches with vodka in jar. Secure lid and shake vigorously for approximately 1-2 minutes. Place jar in a cool, dark cabinet. Shake jar vigorously at least 3-4 times per week for 6 weeks. At 6 weeks, pour mixture through a wire mesh strainer and discard peach bits. Add a new batch of fresh peaches to vodka. Secure lid and shake vigorouusly for approximately 1-2 minutes. Place jar back into cool, dark cabinet. Shake jar at least 3-4 times per week for an additional 6 weeks. At the end of the 12 week period, pour mixture through a wire mesh strainer and discard peach pits. Return liquid to jar and securely seal. Use in baking requiring flavored extract.