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Pulled Pork Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

2015/03 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

I’m not a huge fan of pork, but my husband is, so when I found out that Zaycon Foods had an oversupply of cases of pulled pork in my area, I jumped at the chance to grab a case at a great price. We don’t have a large freezer, so buying meats in bulk doesn’t work for us at the moment, but 10lbs. of pulled pork would be easy to portion and freeze, as opposed to the 40lbs. of chicken breasts we’ve gotten a few times in the past (when we had a chest freezer). If you’re interested in signing up for Zaycon Foods natural meat, produce, and dairy pick-ups, please use my referral link HERE.

Because I don’t care for pork, I typically don’t cook with it, so I needed to get creative to find ways to work with the pulled pork we purchased. I have great plans for this smoked pork: served traditionally on a bun with a nice homemade slaw, possibly pulled pork burritos, and this amazing pulled pork and leek pizza recipe.

Pulled Pork Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: DIY | Recipes, Editorial, ideas, Natural Living Tagged With: cauliflower pizza crust, gluten free, gluten free recipe, pizza, pizza recipe, pulled pork, pulled pork recipe

Cranberry Pumpkin Cookies

2014/10 By Lauren B. Stevens 7 Comments

Fall is my absolute favorite season.  The colors, the smell of leaves, the crisp, damp air; everything about the fall ignites my senses and makes me want to spend as much time as possible outside.  And…one of my favorite things about fall are pumpkins.  I don’t go for those overly sugary pumpkin coffee drinks, but I do get excited about cooking with pumpkin.

A longstanding joke in our household is my incessant need for canned pumpkin each fall (I’m too impatient to prepare pumpkin myself).  Years ago, a pumpkin shortage made canned pumpkin difficult (and expensive) to find.  The following year, concerned that I’d miss my window of pumpkin opportunity, I had my husband pick up canned pumpkin as soon as he saw it in the store.  He came home with no fewer than SIX cans (that’s love, isn’t it?)!  So, each year, when a chill overtakes the warm, summer breeze, my husband asks if I need any canned pumpkin.  Not long after, my culinary pumpkin creations commence.

cranberry-pumpkin-cookies

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: DIY | Recipes, Editorial, ideas, Natural Living Tagged With: cookies, cranberry, pumpkin, recipe

Easy, Healthy Trail Mix Bars

2014/09 By Lauren B. Stevens 1 Comment

BakeitFun Jelly roll, baking mat; whatever you call it, it will revolutionize your baking!  I never considered myself a ‘serious’ enough baker to own a jelly roll, so when my husband asked that we put one on our wedding gift registry, I turned my nose up at the idea.  Years later, with much more cooking experience under my belt, I jumped at the opportunity to try BakeitFun’s Baking Mat. What I didn’t know at the time was that baking mats aren’t just for cookies, they’re great for anything you’re cooking in your oven on a baking sheet!  Gone are the strips of aluminum foil, to which most items stuck anyway; introducing a baking mat to your kitchen will cut down on waste and make it easy to slide baked items off of your baking sheet. BakeItFun-BakingMat [Read more…]

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Filed Under: DIY | Recipes, Editorial, reviews|sponsored

Zucchini Noodles (Zoodles) with Grape Tomatoes

2014/08 By Lauren B. Stevens 3 Comments

I love being able to ‘reinvent’ dishes for my family to enjoy, typically substituting a different protein, using lemon juice instead of vinegar, and even using a different style of pasta…just to keep dishes interesting.  We eat a lot of vegetables here, even moreso since planting a garden last spring (green beans, wax beans, peas, and zucchini have done well for us), and our diet tends to reflect typical summer eating; lots of fresh, local vegetables, light meals, fewer heavy meat-based dishes.

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: DIY | Recipes, Editorial, Natural Living, reviews|sponsored, sponsored

Oil-free Flax & Walnut Zucchini Bread

2014/07 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

OilFreeFlaxWalnutZuchinniBread

My garden is really starting to produce, which means I’m having to get creative with the zucchini my SIX plants are producing.  I tend to make zucchini bread each summer, so I’ve been using my abundant crop to perfect my recipe.  I don’t like overly greasy breads (carrot, banana, zucchini), so I try to cut the oil by substituting applesauce, and had a couple of bags of flax meal and flaxseed in my pantry that needed to be used.  If you’ve not yet gotten on the flaxseed bandwagon, here’s the perfect recipe to get you started!  Flaxseed is rich in antioxidants (moreso than blueberries or olives), and is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids.  If you substitute whole wheat flour in this recipe (my husband can only take so much…), you have an amazing whole grain bread recipe! [Read more…]

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Filed Under: DIY | Recipes, Editorial, ideas, Natural Living, reviews|sponsored, sponsored Tagged With: applesauce, flax, flaxseed, low fat, recipe, zucchini, zucchini bread

A Case for Sunning Your Cloth Diapers

2014/05 By Lauren B. Stevens 12 Comments

To sun or not to sun, that is the question.  In almost two years of cloth diapering, I’ve rarely sunned my diapers because a.) we used prefolds almost exclusively for the first 8 months (no muss, no fuss diapering), b.) we were without a clothesline, and c.) I just didn’t have much of a need to because of using diaper liners.  We’ve installed a clothesline, here at our new home, and I’ve quickly taken to it.  My current record?  Three loads of laundry dried on the line in one day, not too shabby, eh?  The best part is that my cloth diapers are looking and smelling fabulous.

SunClothDiapers.jpg

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Accessories, Cloth Diapering, DIY | Recipes, Editorial, General Topics, ideas

Tasty Ham Frittata w/ Asparagus, Grape Tomatoes, Chives & Brie

2014/04 By Lauren B. Stevens 3 Comments

Despite buying the smallest ham I could find, we were left with leftovers from our Easter dinner this past Sunday.  To spice up our leftovers, I decided to make a frittata on Monday for dinner.  I love making frittatas because they’re incredibly quick, easy, and utilize ingredients that are readily available in a well-stocked pantry/larder.  I like to keep holiday dinners simple because a.) I’m the one doing all of the cooking, and b.) I’d rather spend quality time with family than be a slave to the kitchen, fussing over elaborate meal preparations.  Our Easter dinner was a simple spread of a ham, asparagus, red fingerling potatoes with fresh chives, sautéed carrots with dill, and the obligatory deviled eggs.  On Monday, I diced leftover ham, thinly sliced the potatoes, and chopped the asparagus & chives.  I happened to have some grape tomatoes on hand and had served a nice brie cheese before Easter dinner — both of which were wonderful compliments to my frittata.

Frittata

Heat oven to 375

Ingredients:

2 c. sliced red potatoes

1 1/2 c. diced ham

1 c. chopped asparagus

1 c. grape tomatoes

1/4 c. chopped fresh chives

6-8 slices brie cheese

6-8 large eggs, scrambled (can sub. 4 whole eggs & 4 egg whites)

 

Frittata - bottom layer of potatoes

Frittata – bottom layer of potatoes

I sautéed my diced ham in one pan while I began sautéing my potatoes, in a tablespoon of olive oil, in another.  Once my ham was browned and my potatoes had created a crisp bottom layer in the pan (approximately 10 minutes), I added the ham, asparagus, grape tomatoes and 8 eggs, scrambled (I used 4 whole eggs & 4 whites only — you can just use 6 eggs if you wish to bypass using whites) to the pan with the potatoes.  I cooked over medium heat, constantly moving the pan and using my spatula to pull the cooked egg from the side of the pan, tilting to allow raw egg to fill the space (approximately 5-8 minutes).  Once most of the raw egg on top of your frittata is cooked (by continually pulling up the edge of the frittata and tilting the pan to allow raw egg to fill in), top your frittata with sliced brie & chives, and place into a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, or until egg is cooked and brie is melted.  Serve with a lightly dressed micro-greens salad and you have the perfect meal (it’s child-friendly too)!

 

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Filed Under: DIY | Recipes, Editorial, ideas Tagged With: asparagus, brie, eggs, frittata, ham, leftovers, recipe, tomatoes

How to Hide a Page in Blogger

2014/02 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

There are many reasons why one would want to create a hidden page on his/her blog.  I use hidden pages as landing pages for different uses, or information that I want accessible on the internet, but not highlighted on my Home page menu bar.  Whatever your reason for creating a hidden page, it’s incredibly easy to do and useful to know.

Creating a hidden page or hiding an existing page in Blogger used to be as easy as dragging and dropping.  Now, Blogger makes you ‘dig’ a little more to hide a page on your blog, but it’s still possible:

1.  Your page must be published before you hide it (will not work with drafts).

2.  Select Layout from your Dashboard menu

3.  Under Pages select Edit

4.  Un-check box corresponding to the page you wish to hide

5.  Save changes

I hope that this mini-tutorial was helpful for you.  Happy blogging!

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Filed Under: DIY | Recipes Tagged With: Blogger

Homeschooling?

2014/01 By Lauren B. Stevens 1 Comment


Carnival of Homeschooling

Graphic available (w/out text in red) as a printable from Scholastic.com

While driving around this weekend, surveying possible areas for our relocation, I was suddenly struck with a thought about homeschooling — something I hadn’t previously considered.  That thought, which I’ll share a little later, got the gears cranking about the concept of homeschool, and what it meant to my husband and myself, prior to this thought.

When Declan was an infant, my husband and I began discussing the possibility of homeschooling him, and weighing the pros and cons.  I approached the idea of homeschooling from a purely elitist educational standpoint.  My undergraduate degree is in English, with a Comparative Literature option, and I often had classes with English Education majors.  I was shocked by how much these Education students didn’t know about English, and couldn’t imagine those folks ever teaching my children.  Then, I had the opportunity to teach for a year in Florida, and again, was unimpressed by many of the teachers’ [lack of] command for the subject area; they knew educational principles, and had studied their classroom texts well, but often fell short in their ability pull from sources outside of the district assigned textbooks.

The fact that we frequently move for my husband’s work is another factor that makes us inclined to consider homeschooling our child(ren).  We don’t always know where we’ll end up, or the kind of area in which we’ll be living, and I would hate for our child(ren)’s education to suffer because we moved to an area with a failing school system.  If this was the scenario, homeschooling would definitely be a great option.

Another topic we’ve discussed is the number of available options for homeschooling these days.  There is a misconception that homeschooled children suffer from the inability to socialize and interact with their peers (because they’ve been stuck in their homes with their noses in their books).  Some ‘homeschooled’ children actually report to a school-like center and are ‘homeschooled’ with other children (which also means that working parents are able to ‘homeschool’ their children).  The internet has made the world a smaller place, so there are many options available the cyber route as well.  We live in Pennsylvania, and are lucky enough to have a dedicated website with information about homeschooling in the state.

So, back to that drive this past weekend.  I was looking out the window, as we drove through a wooded area with a creek, and saw a sign for a preschool.  Out of the blue, my thoughts immediately went to the fact that our children aren’t one-hundred percent safe when we send them off to school.  I don’t know why I was bombarded with these thoughts — Declan’s still got a while before preschool — but it caused me to think about some of the decisions we’ll need to make in the next couple of years.

I was in college when the Columbine High School shooting occurred, but it resonated with me as a teen [not far removed from high school].  And the more recent Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting resonated with me as a parent.  Both of these horrific incidents illustrate, to me, that even schools aren’t safe places for our children.

My husband and myself were lucky enough to attend schools without metal detectors and bag checks.  Shoot, the doors to our schools weren’t even locked to outsiders!  I don’t think schools, no matter the location, were ever the same after the Columbine incident.  I know that my former high school began locking it’s doors not long after Columbine, but I believe there had also been a rash of incidents leading to that decision (bomb threats being a major factor).  One thing is for sure: the atmosphere surrounding schools was filled with tension, not something I (thankfully) ever had to experience.

Maybe it’s because my little guy is still so young, or because of the fact that I’m at home with him, but for now homeschooling seems to be a great option for us.  I know that I won’t always be there to protect my child(ren), nor do I have any aspirations of becoming a helicopter parent, but there are things that I can do to take precautions in these unpredictable and volatile times.  Until this country makes education a priority, I can’t trust that my child(ren)’s best interests are being looked after in public schools (be it physical safety or getting the best education possible).

What are your thoughts about homeschooling?  Do you homeschool?  Are you thinking about homeschooling?

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Filed Under: all, DIY | Recipes, Editorial, ideas, Natural Living, Parenting, topics Tagged With: homeschooling

WWE – Rigatoni with Kale Pesto

2013/11 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

*This post contains affiliate links.

I am still going strong with the eMeals.com plan, loving how simple it makes my meal planning, shopping, and cooking.  This week’s plan made it difficult to choose only 4 or 5 meals (I don’t cook every night), so I chose 6!  Check out this week’s amazing menu:

Slow-Simmered Bolognese Rago with Parmesan Spaghetti Squash
Chicken and Chickpea Tagine with Whole Wheat Couscous
Sausage and Rice Stuffed Peppers with Steamed Broccoli & Cauliflower
Vietnamese Chicken Salad
Rigatoni with Kale Pesto and Balsamic Sliced Tomatoes
Shrimp Pad Thai with Steamed Edamame

The pesto was absolutely delicious, as Declan can attest (he LOVES pesto sauce!):

This kid (and adult) approved recipe is so good that I have to share:

Rigatoni with Kale Pesto

16oz. package whole wheat rigatoni
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
16oz. bag chopped fresh kale
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 cloves garlic
1oz. package fresh basil
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3/4 teaspoon sale, 3/4 teaspoon pepper

Prepare rigatoni according to package directions; drain and return to pot.  Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; add kale and cook 3 minutes or until wilted.  Place pine nuts in a food processor; with lid on and food processor running, drop garlic through food chute and pulse until minced.  Remove lid and add kale, basil, Parmesan cheese, remaining olive oil, lemon juice, lemon rind, salt, and pepper; process until smooth.  Add pesto to cooked pasta; cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until thoroughly warmed.

Take advantage of this AMAZING offer from eMeals!  15% Off Your Order plus a Free Comfort Foods PDF when you use code Dinner15

eMeals Meal Plans

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Filed Under: DIY | Recipes Tagged With: emeals, kale, pasta, pesto, recipe

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Lauren B. Stevens is a former publishing rep-turned-writer, whose work can be found on ChildVantage, The Huffington Post, Scary Mommy and Care.com, among many other websites. When she's not chasing her precocious preschooler, Lauren pens hilarious and heartwarming stories about her life as a mother, ghostwrites blogs for businesses, and sometimes even finds the time to write a bit of creative non-fiction.
Look for Lauren's published essays in the books listed below:

i’m in these books!

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