Whole Natural Life - Page 15 of 33 - Simple real food recipes and natural living tips

Garden Update: May 21, 2013

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Meghan Slocum • 5 Comments

I haven’t written anything about our garden since I wrote about planning our 2013 garden back in March. There’s a good reason for that, though–not much has been happening in the garden! I think there’s finally been enough activity that it’s time for an update, though. 🙂

We are using two small raised beds (pictured above), which are part of our apartment complex’s community garden. At the moment they are only housing kale, sugar snap peas and lettuce. Here are the peas and lettuce:

Peas and Lettuce--May 2013

I think both of them look pretty tiny.…

Filed Under: Green Living

Gluten-Free Cheez-Its

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Meghan Slocum • 7 Comments

I have always loved Cheez-Its. Like most processed foods, however, Cheez-Its don’t have the greatest ingredients list, and while I’m not generally opposed to an occasional indulgence, these days I’m gluten-free so commercial Cheez-Its are absolutely off-limits. A few weeks ago I decided to see if anyone had tackled making their own gluten-free copycat Cheez-Its—and to my delight, I discovered that many people had! I tried out this recipe from My Fields of Green, which I subsequently adapted to fit my own preferences.

If you love Cheez-Its, or any other cheesy crackers, you must try these. I haven’t had Cheez-Its in a long time, so I can’t claim to remember exactly what they taste like, but these are certainly fulfilling my Cheez-It cravings.…

Filed Under: Real Food Recipes

How to Reheat Food Without a Microwave

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Meghan Slocum • 45 Comments

I haven’t used a microwave in many years. While no longer cooking without a microwave is pretty easy, learning to reheat food without a microwave does take a bit of a learning curve. After all, what’s easier than just popping some leftovers in the microwave?

After a bit of practice, though, reheating without your microwave will soon become second nature. And when you have the right tools and techniques up your sleeve, living without a microwave isn’t difficult at all.

(Side note: This isn’t meant to be a post about why you should skip the microwave, so I’m going to let you do your own research on that front.…

Filed Under: Kitchen Tips and Tricks

How to Easily Switch to Glass Food Storage Containers

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Meghan Slocum • 38 Comments

If you’ve spent much time in the real food/natural living world, you’re no stranger to the potential dangers of plastic. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Google “dangers of plastic” for plenty of reading material.) While I have not chosen to banish all plastic from my life, I do think that one big way to reduce your exposure is to opt for glass rather than plastic when it comes to food storage. As far as healthy habits go, this is a pretty easy one, but initially building your glassware stash can be overwhelming. Let me share with you what I’ve learned and what currently works for me.…

Filed Under: Kitchen Tips and Tricks

Chocolate Orange Ice Cream (dairy-free)

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Meghan Slocum • 8 Comments

Do you ever buy those chocolate oranges that are sold around Christmas time? I used to LOVE those, but due to various food restrictions I haven’t eaten one in several years. That flavor combination is one I still think of wistfully, however, so the other day I decided to come up with an ice cream version of a chocolate orange.

My efforts did not disappoint: this ice cream is awesome! I really think it tastes exactly like a chocolate orange in ice cream form (well, at least, what I remember a chocolate orange tasting like). If you like the chocolate plus orange flavor combo, you absolutely must try this ice cream.…

Filed Under: Real Food Recipes