Month: September 2010

  • Free Printable Memory Verses

    As a mom with a teen aged daughter still at home, and with all the distractions of Facebook, and time commitments to school work, and  music activities, I have despaired of coming up with a viable scripture memorization plan for my daughter, Mary.  Now I have a FREE solution I would like to share with you.

    In our modern technology driven world, author Robert J. Morgan makes an airtight case for scripture memorization in 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart.

    He says:
    It’s vital for mental and emotional health and for spiritual well-being,” he writes. “It changes the atmosphere of every family and alters the weather forecast of every day.”

    Enjoy FREE printable memory cards for each of these 100 recommended verses, and learn more about the book here.

    I plan to use them for devotional time and for my own mental challenge.

    Tell me what scripture memorization plan works best for your family.

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  • Busy Mom Strategies for Grocery Shopping

    dinnerPhoto courtesy of http://recipes.slides.kaboose.com

    Whether you are facing a difficult pregnancy, recovery from surgery, other long term illness, death of a loved one or other losses, or just a busy mom, there are times when we really need to simplify grocery shopping and menu planning drastically.

    Recently, I haven’t had the energy to do much cooking either.  What helps me the most to conquer, “Mom, what’s for dinner? dilemma” are some of the following ideas.

    • Taking a Saturday morning to cook 2-3 different dishes in bulk.
    • Start my dinner in the morning during breakfast preparation.
    • Purchase take-out barbecue and fill in with easy side dishes like cole slaw and cut up fruit.
    • Making large batches of the meal so I have plenty of leftovers for an extra meal or leftover night.
    • Baked Potato night with canned chili topping, shredded cheese, onion and sour cream
    • Lowering my standards a bit.
    • Relying on basics such as tacos, sloppy joes, meatloaf, and diced chicken breast pieces.
    • Don’t forget a huge Sunday Roast can make several other meals during the week- such as French Dip sandwiches, beef stew, or “goulash” (one pot meal of whatever is around”.
    • Make breakfast for dinner.

    Grocery Shopping when You Are Sick

    Tawra Kellam  is the author of Dining on a Dime Cookbook.  She has been disabled with Chronic Fatique Syndrome and Fibromyalgia for 22 years.  For her, dealing with food, groceries, buying it, and making it are a challenge she has addressed with a few simple strategies.

    Read Tawra Kellam’s complete article Grocery Shopping when You are Sick.  Please post some of your practical ideas for getting dinner and groceries done when you are not at full strength below

    Don’t forget the Real Foods for Teens course deadline is October 1

    Visit me at Twitter:  TheUrbanHome

  • Marilyn’s Famous Whole Wheat Bread Tutorial


    Marilyn'sbread

    “I have been making bread for years. Yesterday I wanted to find a recipe to use with my Montana White Wheat, and I found your website. My husband and five children could not believe how excellent your recipe turned out! It is the whole wheat miracle I have always searched for. Thank you so very much for sharing.” Sincerely, Kirsten Farmer

    Are you thinking of baking some wholesome whole grain breads and looking for a way to get started?

    Listen to this complimentary MP3 audio Whole Grain Bread Baking Tutorial by Marilyn Moll for secrets to the best bread.

    Here is what others are saying:

    • My family has been looking for a way to eat healthier but still have bread. This is awesome we give it an A++++++ and 10 thumbs up.
    • I have been reading the rave reviews of this bread for years. Normally my family does not enjoy w.w. bread, but this recipe is the exception! THANKS!!!
    • Wow Marilyn, I’m impressed. It’s so good that now this is the only bread I WANT to eat. My kids like it too. I was hoping it would pass for their daily PBJ sandwich bread and it did!

    Find us on Twitter at TheUrbanHome and tell your friends!

  • Real Foods for Teens

    Enroll yur kids in a Real Food Nutrition and Health ecourse

    About five years ago I was introduced to the politically incorrect nutrition classic Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Dr Mary Enig and the Weston A Price Foundation.  The first myth they busted for me was that healthy fats do include butter, beef tallow, coconut oil and unrefined olive oil and of course that Real Milk was both healthy and safe.

    Today I wanted to tell you about a homeschool mom, Kristen Michaelis AKA Food Renegade who adores the “living books” model of education promoted by Charlotte Mason. She is also a professional writer and fitness coach  who has combined these three passions to create the first and only Nutrition textbook and ecourse for teens of this kind.

    Kristen talks about the basics:

    • The major macro-nutrients (fats, proteins, and carbohydrates) & how your body uses them.
    • The micro-nutrients like vitamins, minerals, enzymes, & their affect on health.
    • The nutrient density of Real Food
    • Industrial vs. Pasture-based animal husbandry
    • Industrial vs. Organic agriculture
    • The basics of Real Health
    • Sneak Peak Video about Healthy Fats and Oils (Watch the Video)

    Interested?  Check it out.

    Disclaimer:  I make a small commission on purchases.

  • Free Holiday Planner Sample Pages

    While we at The Urban Homemaker don’t recommend complicated, elaborate, or expensive holiday plans, we do offer a way to break down the steps into smaller more manageable steps starting the first week of October.  The newly revised planner has lots of new information, recipes and ideas.  There is a link to a 14 page FREE sampler of the Planner at the bottom of this page.
    Newly Revised and Expanded!
    by Marilyn Moll and Sheri Graham

    What you will find in this 171 page ebook:

    • Blank monthly and weekly calendar pages for planning your year
    • Weekly “To Do” lists showing exactly what needs to be done each week
    • Thanksgiving and Christmas Menus forms
    • Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Recipe Card forms
    • A Holiday Self-Evaluation form
    • Shopping Lists
    • “Sheri’s Tips”- tips to make your holidays meaningful, shared throughout the ebook
    • Christmas Craft and Gift Ideas
    • Memory Making Ideas for the Family
    • Holiday Journal Pages
    • Many, many forms such as:
      Christmas Gift Shopping List
      Gift Making Checklist
      Christmas Card Checklist
      Holiday Wardrobe Planner
      List of Baked Items to Share/Give Away
      Favorite Meals to Freeze for Later
      Decoration Ideas
      Needed Supplies to Purchase This Week
      Holiday Baking Schedule
      Kids’ Gift Idea List
      Christmas Gifts to be Shipped
    • PLUS!!! Two bonus weeks with family tradition ideas, menus, and
    • PLUS!!! Some of our favorite holiday recipes!
    • PLUS!!! Holiday Coloring Pages!
    • Free 14 Page Planner Sampler

    Buy once, and never buy another holiday planner again!

    Or Purchase 5 ebook Holiday Combo Set and Save!


  • Would you love a Bosch Mixer?

    AwesomeBoshBREAD_sm

    Nearly 25 years ago, my neighbor a mother of four, told me why she loved her Bosch mixer for making whole grain bread.  She said she had already burned out three food processors in bread making.

    Besides, she said, she was cleaning up her kitchen while the mixer did the kneading work, and her house was spotless!  This really got my attention.

    A Bosch Mixer can be used for the following everyday kitchen tasks and much more:

    • make up to six loaves of bread
    • make triple batches of cookie dough
    • Make your own healthy salad dressings
    • Puree tomatoes
    • Make cookies ( use batter whips, cookie paddles, or dough hook)
    • Mash potatoes
    • Puree cooked beans, lentils and split peas for soups, sauces, and dips.
    • Make bread crumbs
    • Crack Grain
    • Chop up nuts
    • Mix meat loaves (use batter whips or cookie paddles)
    • Prepare pesto
    • Prepare hummus
    • Prepare salsa
    • Mix cakes and quick breads
    • Whip cream fast and easy
    • Beat egg whites to the stiff peaks stage for meringues, etc. (Quick and easy)

    You can save $150 over retail if you act now while the Bosch with blender is on sale for $389.95.  A Bosch without Blender is $359.95.

  • Veggie Dill Crocks are Easy to Make

    As the gardening season winds down, you might want to try fermenting some veggies instead of canning them. It is so much easier and less time consuming.

    Basically a dill crock is a variation on fermented veggies. If you don’t have dill or a grape leaf you can still make the fermented veggies and keep it going.

    Can you believe my dog loves these naturally pickled and healthy veggies which are loaded with high quality pro-biotics?

    This is an easy project and it is easy to maintain – so be brave and give it a try..

    Here is the simple instructions:

    1. Use a half gallon jar or crock.

    2. Make a brine of 2 Tbsp salt, 6 cups water, and ½ cup cider vinegar. The brine is used to cover all the vegetables in the crock.

    3. Grape Leaf – Place a small layer of grape leaves in the bottom of the jar to help keep veggies crisp, if desired. It is not essential.

    4. Dill: Place a layer of dill on top of the grape leaves.  Also optional – other herbs or no herbs can be used.  Try a bit of thyme if you have it instead.

    5. The Vegetables: Almost any crisp vegetable can go into a dill crock such as carrots, onions, garlic, cauliflower, peppers, green tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, etc. Green Beans need 3 minutes of blanching because otherwise they turn out too tough or hard to chew.

    6. Time: One you fill the jar or crock with the vegetables, pour in the brine, screw on a cap tightly to the jar or weigh the vegetables down with a plate and rock to hold the vegetables under the brine.

    7. Store the vegetables in a closet or cupboard for 5-6 days up to 2 weeks. If a white foam appears at the top do not panic, this is normal, just remove the foam and the vegetables are ready to eat.

    8. Refrigerate and enjoy!

    9. Start a new crock with some leftover brine and salt/water solution and use up those delicious veggies long after the season ends.

    10. Let your nose be your guide. This is not an official USDA method, but a time-tested method used for centuries.