Kelly, Author at The Nourishing Home

Meal Plan Monday: March 18–31

FEATURED RECIPE: Strawberry season has arrived and we couldn’t be more delighted! This delectable GF Strawberry Shortcake is such a healthy & nutritious way to start the day! This is just one of the many delicious recipes featured in this week’s meal plan.

One of my favorite ministries is serving as the Meal Planning Contributor for The Better Mom, where I share my bi-weekly real food meal plans as a way to help inspire and encourage others. Each bi-weekly meal plan includes what’s on the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as links to more than 40 of the delicious real food recipes featured.

Why is this called “Meal Plan Monday,” when it’s posted on Saturday? I thought it would be nice to give you the heads-up about what’s on the menu for the week ahead. That way, you have time to take advantage of incorporating some (or all) of the meals featured, if you’d like. Remember: To view the recipe links for each of the meal plans below, please pop on over to The Better Mom.

So … without further ado … here’s what’s on the menu for the next two weeks at The Nourishing Home. Again, you can find each of the recipe links over at  The Better Mom.

P.S. I’ve provided free links, so you can download the new Meal Plan Template for your own personal use.

P.S.S. If you’d like to learn more about meal planning, please check out my FREE Video Course “Mastering Meal Planning.”

Wishing you and your family a very blessed and joy-filled Good Friday and Easter!

Joyfully Serving Him, Kelly

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Puppies LOVE Real Food too!

By Kelly · 9 Comments

Save money and pamper your puppy with healthy, homemade doggy treats that are tail-waggin’ good! Just look at that sweet little face, so patiently waiting for his yummy sweet potato snack!

Last November, we were blessed with an adorable little bundle of fun – Franklin Jr,. our English Bulldog puppy! He’s definitely been a joyful addition to our family, so of course we want to feed him right so we can enjoy many years to come with this cute little bag of wrinkles!

As a new puppy owner (in fact, this is my first dog ever!), I was shocked at how expensive quality puppy treats are (if you can actually find real food based dog treats). So in an effort to save our budget, and still have a tempting treat to reward our good boy, I decided to bake-up some easy and healthy real food doggie treats.

Because our little guy is eating a grain-free diet, I wasn’t up for lengthy experiments to create a homemade GF dog biscuit (at least not yet). That’s why I opted instead to start by making one of his favorite simple treats – chewy dried sweet potatoes.

Come on … they look ready to eat to me … Can I have one … P L E A S E !

What’s a guy gotta do to get one of these??

Oh yeah! You bet I’ll sit for one of these yummy wholesome treats!

YUM! Victory is mine … at last!

How to Make Sweet Potato Puppy Treats

Step One: Slice
Rinse and dry the sweet potatoes. Then, slice them into 1/3-inch slices. I prefer to slice them lengthwise, so our puppy can hold down one end of the dried sweet potato with his big beefy paw, while gnawing on the other end – it’s just so cute to watch!

Step Two: Bake
There are two options for drying fruits and veggies. The best method to use is a food dehydrator. Dehydrators use very low temperatures over a long period of time to remove moisture from foods. This “low and slow” method helps retain more nutrients and enzymes for best nutritional value.

However, if you’re like me and the food dehydrator is still on your “wish list.” Then you can certainly use your oven to slow dry them. Simply, place the sweet potato slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 175 degrees about 6-10 hours. Be sure to check for doneness about every 1-2 hours after you hit the 4-hour mark. If you have a convention oven, definitely use convection-bake, as it will save significant time since convention more evenly distributes heat.

The sweet potato treats are done when they have shriveled to almost half their original size and are somewhat dry-rubbery. If you’re not sure, take one out, let it cool. If it’s dry-rubbery in texture, then it’s done. I prefer to serve my puppy a chewy-style treat, over a crisp one. So I don’t recommend baking them until they are too dry, otherwise the sweet potatoes become too crisp and crunchy.

Step Three: Enjoy!
“Sit” … “Good boy!” Reward with treat. Repeat! (keeping moderation in mind!)

Be sure to store your homemade puppy treats in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks, or in freezer for up to one month. (There’s no preservatives in these wholesome little gems!)

Slow dried sweet potatoes are a nutritious and delicious way to reward your good puppy! They’re a much safer, all-natural and completely digestible alternative to rawhide.

While dried sweet potatoes and other dried fruits and veggies have numerous health benefits, the process of drying them (especially depending on the temperature used) can reduce their nutrient value. However, compared with the majority of dog treats on the market, homemade dried fruits and veggies make a great all-natural puppy treat – just remember moderation is key!

Dried apple and banana slices also make a wonderfully wholesome real food treat for puppies and people too! Use the same process as above, keeping in mind that baking/dehydrating times vary based on the thickness of the slice and moisture level of the fruit or veggie.

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Discovering the Heart of True Hospitality

By Kelly · 23 Comments

Today, I’m thrilled to have a very special guest join us. It’s my dear friend Ruth from GraceLaced. She is truly one of the most hospitable women I know. That’s why I’m excited that she’s graciously offered to share a bit of her wisdom with us on how we can experience the joy of blessing others through practicing true hospitality!

Discovering the Heart of True Hospitality
by Ruth Simons, GraceLaced

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we live in a culture that loves to entertain, but rarely shows true hospitality. We pin endless links to great party ideas and beautiful photos of elegantly set tables and thematic dinners. I love all that. But, how daunting it must feel to read about hospitality in the Bible and have those images from Pinterest pop in your head.

Is that what hospitality looks like? What does it take to be hospitable?

What we think hospitality is:
• pressed linens
• home-cooked four-course meal
• spotless home
• fresh flowers
• matching dishes
• quiet children

What True Hospitality really is:
• sharing what you have
• sharing who you are
• involving your children in serving
• inviting others into your home
• inviting others into your real life
• being available when a need arises

What we have to believe to be truly hospitable:
• that we have to get over our pride
• that our sense of perfection is a lie
• that our possessiveness about personal time can be simply selfishness at times
• that we are hospitable unto the Lord and not for reciprocation or accolades
• that our provisions come from God, who owns everything
• that He gave to us for us to give generously
• that the most important thing we can share is not food or our home, but Christ, himself.

You see, hospitality is not about impressing or entertaining. As my wise mom-in-law shared with me in a Special Interview on Hospitality – True hospitality is about extending all that God’s given you…to another. I pray this encourages you to see hospitality in a new light – one that makes much of Christ and less of you.

How can you get started with being more hospitable? Here are a few simple suggestions:
• Hospitality isn’t limited to just dinnertime. It can also happen over a simple breakfast or lunch.
• Mid-mornings and mid-afternoons can also be a wonderful time to set aside for occasional get-togethers with other moms. Simply raid your pantry for dried fruit and nuts, and your fridge for cheese, to make a simple snack platter to share, along with a little spot of tea.
• Do you go to a Bible Study? Consider making an easy snack, and quickly picking up around the house before you leave, so that you can invite a new friend or two over after the study to get to know one another better.
• Surprise a single friend with a last-minute invite to join your family for dinner.
• Once a week, make an extra big batch of something super simple for dinner and offer to bring a meal to another family who may be having a difficult week.

Everything we do ultimately stems from our beliefs. Our theology defines our methodology. It is no different when it comes to hospitality. True Hospitality is a desire to bless, as you have been blessed. We don’t show hospitality to others simply because we have a new recipe to show off, a home that feels clean, or even a desire to help someone out. Our hospitality should flow from a heart that desires to honor and bless the Lord.

When He is our Guest of Honor, there is no end to the richness of our hospitality, or the fruit of what can become of simply opening our hearts and our homes to others.

Meet Ruth!
Ruth is the author of Gracelaced where she writes about finding grace in the everyday life. Her days are filled with 5 energetic boys, whom she homeschools part-time through the Classical school her husband heads and co-founded. She has recently transitioned out of her 10 year role as a Pastor’s wife through which she has consistently learned this marvelous truth that keeps her going each and every day: “The Lord is not through with us yet.”

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