5 Holiday Uses for Yogurt--A Flu-Fighting Food

Image by kril

Not sure about the flu shot? Fight back with food instead! Welcome back to 5 Flu-Fighting Foods--a 5-week series that will arm you with recipes to stay healthy this season!

I'm excited to be joining the following 5 amazing bloggers in hosting this series:
 
Nikki @Christian Mommy Blogger
Mindy @The Purposed Heart
Anne @Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy
Leigh Ann @Intentional by Grace
Rachel @Day2Day Joys
 
I can't believe today is the final installment of this series! I've had a blast creating and finding new recipes for these flu-fighting foods:

• pumpkin,
• breakfast,
• green tea (my favorite week!), and 
• garlic

Today's flu-fighting food is yogurt! I absolutely LOVE yogurt. I grew up eating it all the time, but I had no idea what a super food it is until just a few years ago. 

Yogurt is chock full of probiotics, which balance out the flora in your gut. For more information on probiotics, check out this post. Learning a little bit about them is a MUST for your health!


Yogurt also can:

• lower bad and raise good cholesterol levels,
• lower body fat,
• give a calcium boost to your bones,
• boost your immune system, and 
• much more! (source)

It is BEST to consume plain yogurt, but if you don't like the taste, you can always sweeten it with honey or fresh or frozen fruit. Homemade organic yogurt is also best, but I will admit, I buy Stonyfield Farms organic yogurt (and earn free yogurt through their points system!). 

Homemade yogurt is on my list of homemade foods to tackle, but I haven't gotten there yet. (Especially since the majority of our house is dairy free right now...and the one person who isn't {hubby} doesn't like yogurt!)

In lieu of a recipe this week (OK, I had all intentions of remaking this in some fashion, but it flopped...totally flopped!), I thought it would be fun to give you a list of 5 ways to incorporate yogurt into your holiday celebrations:

1. Take a yummy probiotic pumpkin dip to a party. Serve with fresh apples or gingersnaps!

Image by Glenn Gutierre

2. Make a cheesy green bean casserole with Christmas dinner, and sub yogurt for the sour cream. 

Image by salsachica

3. Make and eat a yogurt parfait on Christmas morning (or the day after, when you're feeling really full and want something light!). 

Image by detstudio

4. Instead of topping your desserts with cool whip, top with plain yogurt. It will give it a tart taste that will cut the sweetness. 

Image by nkzs

5. Stir some into a creamy potato soup or top the soup with it, cheese and chives. Makes for a great dinner on a seasonally cold night!


What are your favorite uses for yogurt?

Be sure to check out the great yogurt recipes and tips shared by the other amazing homemakers hosting this series!
Apple Pie Smoothie: A Probiotic Flu Fighter@The Purposed Heart 
Probiotics 101 @Day2Day Joys 
Yogurt: A Flu-Fighting Food @ Intentional by Grace
Yogurt Pudding: A Flu-Fighting Food@ Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy

Now it’s your turn! All 6 of us co-hosts enjoyed reading your mouth-watering garlic recipes last time! My top 3 favorites were:

• Garlicky Roasted Chickpeas with Feta and Mint@Katherine Martinelli
• Garlic-Parmesean Mashed Potatoes @Raia's Recipes
• Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce @Nutmeg Nanny

*Be sure to visit the other co-hosts in this series to see who they picked as their favorite posts last time!


*I'm linking up with: Real Food Wednesday, Foodie Wednesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tasty Tuesday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Recipes I Can't Wait To Try, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Turning The Table Thursday, Cooking Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, Fight Back Friday, Food Trip Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Friday Food, Fresh Food Friday, Foodie Friday, Freaky Friday, Foodie Friday

Link up your delicious yogurt recipes below! Merry Christmas! Be on the lookout for some more link-ups in the new year! :)

There are only two guidelines for participation:

1. Your recipe must be a YOGURT recipe. Any entry submitted that does not include yogurt will be deleted.

2. Please link your posts back to one of the hosting blogs. This way your readers can have access to all of the other great garlic recipes as well!

Christmas Books I Recommend (and some FREEBIES & a GIVEAWAY!)

Like our Christmas book basket underneath the tree? Last year, we had Little Girl's Christmas storybooks scattered all over the house. Then, while we were delivering treats to neighbors on Christmas day, I saw that the lady down the street had all of her grandchildren's holiday books organized in a neat little basket under her tree. 

What a novel idea! (Well, it was probably just novel to me!)


So, I decided to do the same with the girls' books this year. From The Legend of the Candy Cane to Mary, Did You Know? to The Crippled Lamb, the girls can easily find their books waiting for them under the tree all season long. 

And, today, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite Christmas eBooks (cause you know I'm an eBook addict!) floating around the blogosphere!

I'm so excited to start Truth in the Tinsel with Little Girl this week! I just purchased this book on Friday after reading my friend Jen @This Gal's Journey's awesome review! The book has short Advent activities for the littlest of hands. It includes step-by-step instructions and lists of all needed materials for crafts. (This non-crafty mama needs ALL the help I can get with that!) Little Girl is going to be pumped to spend time doing this each day!

Image by misterwestra

I had never heard of a Jesse Tree until last Christmas! It's an unique way of celebrating Advent. Basically, there is a devotional for each day with certain Christmas ornaments that represent that devotional to put on a special Jesse Tree. Last year, we downloaded Ann Voskamp's FREE Jesse Tree devotional with printables for the ornaments! I had full intentions of doing it again this year until I read about Truth in the Tinsel. I am definitely going to bring this great devotional back out when the girls are a little older, though!

I must say--If you haven't gotten a FREE copy of Healthy Holidays yet (and you're an e-mail/RSS subscriber), please e-mail me! This book is a must-have--and it's NOT because I have 5 recipes in it! Really, the recipes included from Mindy @The Purposed Heart, Anne @Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy and Leigh Ann @Intentional by Grace are top-notch holiday treats. You won't want to miss it! 

This one is a favorite. Michele @ Frugal Granola has put together a Christmas book that speaks to the heart of natural mamas everywhere! Instead of the stress, instead of the hustle and bustle, instead of the mountains of gifts and empty wallets, A Natural Noel invites readers to savor each day leading up to Christmas. Using the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," Michele give a theme for each day, a Scripture to read aloud and several activities for learning and blessing others. Activities range from feeding birds (a partridge and a pear tree, anyone?) to helping a neighbor to making an "attitude" (beatitude) poster. A Natural Noel can be easily modified to accommodate young children through adults. It would especially make a great homeschool theme!  I.LOVE.THIS.BOOK., and I cannot wait to go through it this year!


And GUESS what?! Michele has GRACIOUSLY offered one Humbled Homemaker reader a copy of A Natural Noel!

This giveaway will just last one week, so you have plenty of time to prepare your heart and home for the 12 day of Christmas! 

(Click "read more" to enter the giveaway!)


I'm linking up with: Growing Home, Domestically Divine, Traditional Tuesdays, Raising Homemakers, Your Green Resource


Have you entered these other great giveaways yet? 

• Norwex Eco-Friendly Cleaning-through 12/7
• Super Baby Food--through 12/10

*This post contains affiliate links to products I whole-heartedly recommend. It also includes some Amazon affiliate links from Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger (b/c my state doesn't allow Amazon affiliates).


I'm linking up with: Manger Mondays  

A Natural Holiday: Homemade Peppermint Foaming Hand Soap

Welcome back to A Natural Holiday Carnival! Three weeks ago, we looked at decorating with nativities from around the world, two weeks ago we checked out a cheesy green bean casserole and a natural holiday meal plan and last week I posted a recipe for some yummy pumpkin spice (and allergen-free!) donut holes as a party food treat!

Today we are ending the series with homemade Christmas gifts! And I can't wait to share with you this great recipe for peppermint foaming hand soap!


But I must admit. I am not crafty. At all. Oh, I have tried. I once thought I would get into scrapbooking. My loving husband enthusiastically helped me out by purchasing scrapbook-making materials for me. 
I. never.made.my.first.page.


Then it was knitting, then jewelry making, then sewing. Nothing stuck. I'm just not built to be crafty. It's not how God made me. And I'm OK with that--now. 
(Hey--I LOVE blogging! That's one thing that's stuck! But, oh, blogging isn't crafty! Oh, well!)


I digress. You want the recipe for this homemade peppermint foaming hand soap! 


My point is: You can be the least crafty person ever and STILL be able to make this soap for your friends, family, neighbors--and hey, you can even keep some for yourself! 


And the best part? This soap isn't antibacterial! (What's wrong with antibacterial soaps? Well, check out this post.) It's all natural, and I feel safe using it on myself (and even as a baby wash on my girls!). 


Homemade Peppermint Foaming Hand Soap
Ingredients:

• 1/4 parts peppermint scented castille soap (or plain)
• 3/4 parts distilled water
• a few (2-3) drops peppermint essential oil (or tea tree for disinfecting)
• a foaming soap dispenser

Method:
Mix soap and water. Drop in and mix in oils. Pour into a foaming soap dispenser. That's IT!
I found this great tutorial for making a cute foaming hand soap dispenser out of a canning jar. With my hubby's help (I'm not crafty, remember?), we've made one for our bathrooms and kitchen, and we will be making several as Christmas gifts. 
We simply purchased the canning jars and plastic canning lids at Wal-Mart, and we also purchased some colorful (red or green for Christmas!) smooth stones to go in the bottom of the jars. 
We purchased the foaming dispenser tops, here. (But if you're super frugal and patient like my friend Stacy at Stacy Makes Cents, just ask your friends and family to save their old Bath and Body Works dispensers for you!). 

Be sure to check out the other great natural gift-giving ideas in today's hop!


Real Foods Christmas Gifts @ Creative Christian Mama
Homemade Christmas Gifts @ Modern Alternative Mama
Personalized Gifts-Placemats from Storybook Pages @ Stacy Makes Cents
Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas @ Day2Day Joys

Want some more homemade Christmas gift ideas? Check out MadeOn Hard Lotion's My Buttered Life Gift-Giving Edition, which gives diy recipes for: chocolate body mousse, flavored lip balms, chocolate peppermint lotion bars, scented & shaped lotion bars, and beeswax candles!


Or, get the book for FREE by purchasing the DIY kit!

Also, check out Kitchen Stewardship's Smart Sweets book for some yummy holiday treats!

Have you gotten my FREE eBook yet? I don't want you to miss out! If you are a RSS/e-mail subscriber, please e-mail me via the contact tab or leave me a comment here to request your copy!! You can subscribe in the box below if you haven't already. 

I'm linking up with: Make Your Own Monday, Homestead Barn Hop, Made By You Monday, Made With Love Monday, Traditional Tuesday, Frugal Tuesday Tip, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Growing Home, Works for Me Wednesday, Women Living Well, Healthy 2Day Wednesdays, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Penny Pinching Party, Simple Lives Thursday, Creative Juice, Things I Love Thursday, DIY Thrifty Thursday, Live Renewed, Frugal Friday, Living Well Blog Hop, Frugally Sustainable, The Nourishing Gourmet,  Made at Home Monday



*There are affiliate links in this post, which basically means if you purchase through my links, I will get a few dollars to use to buy some Christmas gifts for the girls. :) Thanks for supporting HH! 

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Super Baby Food GIVEAWAY!!!

In lieu of an actual Starting Solids post this holiday weekend, I'm thrilled to announce a GIVEAWAY for the amazing book, Super Baby Food!

Boy, was I shocked a few weeks ago when Ruth Yaron herself--the author of Super Baby Food--left a comment on my post where I mentioned her great book!


Her publicist then e-mailed and is offering one Humbled Homemaker reader a FREE COPY!!


In case you missed my rave review, check out the post, here. 


Otherwise, click "read more" to enter! The winner will be very blessed! (And if you don't currently have a baby, this book will make a GREAT baby gift!!)

I'm sharing this post with: Growing Home, Your Green Resource, , Monday Mania, Mangia Mondays, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Real Food 101, Mouth Watering Monday, Traditional Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays,



Read more »

Happy Thanksgiving...and some Black Friday Sales

Image by bosela

From my family to yours...Happy Thanksgiving! I pray you have a joy-filled day reflecting on God's goodness and blessings over the past year. We are thankful for His provision during a tough recession, our health, our family and, most importantly, our salvation through Jesus. 

Now...here's a question for you: Are you SHOPPING tomorrow? Let me tell you--I'm NOT unless it's online! I am not a shopper. I despise it. But, I do love some cyber shopping! 

And last Black Friday was when I purchased my first-ever eBook (and started my eBook addiction!)--Healthy Snacks to Go!

I'm pleased to announce several books/products I stand behind are going on sale tomorrow:

A Natural Noel: A Family Handbook for Savoring the 12 Days of Christmas : Use code THANKFUL40 for 40% off good only on 11/25/11.
Discount code THANKS25 for 25% off is good through 11/28/11.

Herbal Nurturing: A Family Healing & Learning Guide: Use code THANKFUL40 for 40% off good only on 11/25/11.
Discount code THANKS25 for 25% off is good through 11/28/11.

The Everything Beans Book:BFBEANS for 55% off

Healthy Snacks to Go: SWEETSNACKS for 25% off

Smart Sweets: SWEETSNACKS for 25% off OR sign up for Katie's monthly Kitchen Stewardship newsletter and get it for 50% off NEXT WEEK!

Keeper of the Home's Real Food on a Real Budget OR Healthy Homemaking: One Step at a Time--use code BLACKFRIDAY for 50% off eBooks or 25% off paperbacks from Friday morning through Sunday. 

 

Modern Alternative Mama's eBooks:

60OFFBOOKS for 60% off through 6 a.m.

50OFFBOOKS for 50% off through 9 a.m.

30OFFBOOKS for 30% off through end of 11/25

4-book bundle: first 40 sold for $12.49 (normal is $24.95) w/ code EBOOKBUNDLE

20OFFBOOKS for 20% off any book through 11/27

Bulk Herb Store: 

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea-$4.97 w/ code NOVRRL

Dandelion Root-$6.65 w/ code NOVDRC

Lexie:Naturals: Buy 1, Get 1 FREE lotion or 10% off lip 

And need I not forget the FREE eBook I contributed to--along with Mindy @The Purposed Heart, LeighAnn @Intentional By Grace and Anne @Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy. Leave me a comment on this post if you are a RSS/E-mail Subscriber and want it! Otherwise, subscribe here, and let me know! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

 

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Disclosure: I have included affiliate links throughout this site. I will get a small percentage of each purchase if you order through my links. I only promote products I 100% stand behind. Thank you for supporting The Humbled Homemaker!!

11 Ways to Celebrate Christ this Christmas (at Keeper of the Home)

Today I'm posting about 11 Ways to Celebrate Christ this Christmas over at Keeper of the Home. Here's an excerpt:

As followers of Jesus, keeping Christ as the center of my family's Christmas celebrations is key. Now, I don't think it's necessarily wrong to decorate with snowmen, buy presents, throw parties, eat lots of (good!) food or even play Santa Claus (although my family doesn't). But if we do all those things and forget Christ, what does that say to our children? And what does that say to the world? 

Read the rest of this post here.  


I'm linking up with: Manger Mondays

Norwex Review and GIVEAWAY!

I am SO excited to be reviewing and offering a GIVEAWAY for some wonderful, eco-friendly cleaning products today--Norwex!

But first, I must confess. I don't really like hate dusting. Therefore, I don't do it very often. Ok, really, I barely ever do it. Let's just put it this way: If company's coming, I must find where I put the dust cloth. 

Here's proof: 

The picture above features the Norwex Enviro Cloth. As you can see, it WORKS! (There, you saw my embarrassing overgrowth of dust! My mom was here the day before and said: "No wonder you've been coughing!")

After using the Enviro Cloth, I realized: One reason I think I've despised dusting all these years is because I've been using the wrong supplies. I'm a tight-wad. I use old T-shirts to dust. And they do.not.work. My old method made more work for me--and it really didn't leave my surfaces dust-free either.

Not only does the Enviro Cloth work well (it holds up to 7 times its weight!), but it is also antibacterial! According to the company website, "Norwex has developed...technology that combines an antibacterial silver-based agent with our microfiber. The antibacterial agent is actually embedded inside the tiny microfiber and inactivates the bacteria that it picks up in its fibers."

I read that and thought: "Wow! Who would have thought?!" Check out this video below of my Norwex distributor and friend, Gloria, cleaning up raw chicken with JUST the Enviro Cloth:


Another feature I love is that the cloth doesn't have to be fully washed after each use. If the cloth is only slightly dirty, you can just rinse it with warm water and a little dish soap!

Norwex Window Cloth

Along with the Enviro Cloth, Gloria also let me try an antibacterial window cloth. My windows turned the purple cloth, er...black. Yes, it had been a WHILE since I had washed those as well!


My favorite part about the window cloth? You can simply use the cloth and water! No harsh chemical cleaners here! You can also use the window cloth to clean mirrors, jewelry and shiny surfaces. 

Gloria also let me try the Norwex Ultra Power Plus laundry detergent. It's environmentally friendly and leaves the cloths--and all your laundry--super clean.

I was extremely pleased with these Norwex products, and I feel so blessed that Gloria let me review them! 

Want to try one yourself?

You can view any Norwex product by visiting Gloria's independent consultant site, here. You can e-mail her orders to gloria@agreenerclean.net. {It is not necessary to write "The Humbled Homemaker sent me" in your order, but if you do I will get a small kickback, which would make me so happy. ;) }

Gloria has graciously volunteered to donate 10% of each order resulting from this review to the charity of my choice! I have chosen the International Mission Board. I have many dear friends (and family!) who serve as missionaries all over the world with this organization! 


Now...guess what else Gloria is doing?! She's GIVING AWAY products to TWO different winners!


Click "read more" to enter the giveaway for either an Envirocloth ($15.99 value) or Window Cloth ($17.99 value)! 

p.s. 5 Flu-Fighting Foods is taking a break this week. We will be back next week with YOGURT! 

Disclosure: I was not paid to do this review, but Gloria did sent me the free cloths and detergent in the mail. And you better believe I wanted to share with my Humbled Homemaker readers! I can't wait to see who wins!!

I'm linking up with: Raising Homemakers, Frugally Sustainable, Growing Home, Far Above Rubies, Your Green Resource