We turned the AC on this week. Kids are in the pool. I’m using the crockpot to avoid heating up the kitchen. We are on summer school schedule there is more time to do crafts, read books and play games! Summer has arrived and we are LOVING it! My craft goal for the summer was to make some string art. One version of this Mason jar vase was perfect for both the Patriot decor I love between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July and for the rest of the summer. The "normal" or summer version of the vase can hold artificial, dried or cut flowers.
Patriotic Paper Flower and Star Shadowbox
3 CommentsHave you ever gotten on a craft kick? Not the crochet a little each evening or even a weekend of scrapbooking with some friends, but a REAL "can’t hold all the ideas in my head kick?" That’s what I’m dealing with right now. Come join the madness with this tutorial! This paper flower shadow box has been a work of love. My nephew recently left on deployment in Afganistan. He’s in my prayers constantly and I wanted to give his wife something as she endures his time away.
Last minute Memorial Day ideas!
CommentMy fabulous friends in the Project Beautiful Real People Real Living Facebook page have put together a fabulous list of quick but amazing list of Memorial Day ideas including food, drink, and decor!
Many of these ideas work for June and July! Summer has arrived so keep these ideas in mind if you are hosting any gathering this summer!
Red White and Blueberry muffins: Sugar Free and Low Fat
4 CommentsBerries are the thing here. We recently transplanted over 100 raspberry plants and before that we moved a TON of strawberry plants from the raised bed strawberry patch. This week my daughter has been picking every evening. We’ve got a great start on getting our years worth of strawberries in the freezer. So in honor of Memorial Day and the sweet berries that we’ve been picking, I want to share this low fat sugar-free muffin recipe that we’ve been enjoying. There is even a gluten free version of these Red, White and Blueberry muffins!
Next Garden Adventures: Blueberries
My yearly goal with our berry patch is to grow enough organic berries that we don't need to buy any in the off-season. In 2016, we did it with strawberries and raspberries!!!! My next garden adventure is to find out if my soil will work for blueberry plants.
Low Fat Red White and Blueberry Sugar-free Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 c sprouted wheat flour or GF oat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 c xylitol
- 1/2 c almond milk
- 1 T melted butter
- 1/4 c egg whites
- 1/2 c diced strawberries or raspberries
- 1/2 c blueberries
Directions
- Preheat oven 375 F
- Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and xylitol.
- Add milk, melted butter and egg whites and stir.
- Gently add berries and stir.
- Line a muffin pan with paper liners or use a silicone muffin pan(I love these!)
- Use a 1/4 cup scoop to fill muffin cups
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.
- Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!
This recipe makes 6 muffins and we regularly double the recipe!
***For my Trim Healthy Mama friends this recipe would qualify as an E muffin! I like to pair it with a smoothie to get a little more protein!***
Never heard of Trim Healthy Mama ? It is a wonderful way of healthy eating that manages your blood sugar and helps you to loose weight! Read all about it and how we made some diet changes after battling weight and some health challenges.
Other THM recipes you might like!
Transplanting Raspberry plants for a berry patch
6 CommentsLove berries? Me too! I’m so glad that we have a berry patch. When we moved to our little spot in the country one of my dreams was to grow enough organic berries that I don’t have to buy any at the store! Last year we did that for raspberries and strawberries! I’m still working on the blueberry situation. One of the consequences of having a berry patch is that you get more and more plants! So this year we HAD to remove some plants or it would become a jungle.