This giveaway is now over. But I do hope you’ll pop over and visit Simple Mills to check out my awesome recipes for converting their grain-free muffin mixes into delicious cookies.

And if you’re curious about my honest opinion of these mixes, please read on …

When Simple Mills asked me to give their grain-free almond flour muffin mixes a try, my first question of course was “what are the ingredients?”

After chatting with founder and owner, Katlin Smith, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this family-owned business was on a mission to create delicious GF muffin mixes made from real food ingredients. So I offered to give each of her muffin mixes a try and write a review sharing my honest opinion of them.

So … what’s the verdict? I’ve provided my personal thoughts below. But I think it’s obvious that my family enjoyed them, because I’m not only sharing an opportunity for your family to give them a try for FREE (yes, we’re giving away a free “Simple Mills Muffin Mix Assortment Package,” see entry form below). But I couldn’t help myself … always in the mood to create a new recipe, I developed an easy method for converting Simple Mills muffin mixes into easy-to-make GF cookies. I’ve share these “More than Muffins” cookie recipes at the Simple Mills website, so all of their fans can enjoy another fun way to use Katlin’s GF muffin mixes.

Simple Mills Muffin Mix GIVEAWAY!
This giveaway has ended. It took place Sunday, October 13–19, 2013.

Simple Mills Muffins Mix Review
Simple Mills Muffin Mixes consistently produce muffins that are light, fluffy and delicious. Plus, they’re so easy to make! In less than five minutes, you can whip up a batch to pop in the oven – making them a convenient option for families who are looking for a healthier alternative to the standard packaged GF muffins mixes on the market.

And unlike the vast majority of packaged GF muffin mixes, the ingredients used in Simple Mills muffin mixes are real food based, as well as grain-free, egg-free, dairy-free and GMO-free. And, Katlin also provides special recipe adjustments for preparing these muffins egg-free. (For those following specific diets such as GAPS and SCD, as well as those with tree nut allergies, it’s important to review the ingredients listing. Details can be found at the Simple Mills website.)

A personal thank you to Kaitlin at Simple Mills for giving my family the opportunity to try her super tasty grain-free muffin mixes. My boys certainly enjoyed them, especially when I turned them into scrumptious cookies. Yum!

Please Note: Although I did receive free product to test for this review, the comments shared here are my honest, unbiased opinions.  

<
Guest Post by Tiffany at Don’t Waste the Crumbs

You know the saying, “You can’t believe everything you hear?”  Well, the same is true for what you read on the Internet.

Last month, I shared with you what a typical day was like for my family.  It was a glimpse into how we do homeschool, how we’re teaching the kids responsibility and independence, and how a real food family eats healthy without spending hours in the kitchen or breaking their budget.  I didn’t plan it to happen this way, but the day I posted about was one of those good, average days.

But let me assure you – not every day goes as smoothly.  There are many days when we’re scrambling for time… pushing to finish a science page so we can FINALLY make it to library before story-time starts, followed by quickly swinging by the market for chicken, so we can get home to make a dinner only to get back in the car to deliver it to a new mom at church who lives more than 20 minutes away… and so, you know as well as I do, how one of these busy days goes.

That’s why I’ve dusted off my slow-cooker and opted to put it to good use during this busy season. It’s just another way we’re keeping it simple! I’m a big fan of the slow-cooker and why not?  You can put in raw, frozen food and at the end of the day, you magically have a hot, delicious meal.  Meanwhile, you don’t have to stand at the stove and stir, monitor the temperature or timer, or even be at home at all!  And yet you still take all the credit for a home-cooked meal?  Goodness, what’s not to love?

So I thought it would be helpful to share our favorite slow-cooker salsa chicken recipe, so other busy families can benefit from this great go-to recipe. I stumbled across a similar recipe years ago, but have adapted and changed it to increase the nutrition and flavor while reducing the cost.

• Beans are a nutrition powerhouse and a frugal source of protein.
• Even though the recipe only calls for just one pound of chicken, this meal can easily serve 4-6.
• Most ingredients are pantry staples, making it easy to put this together.
• A simple dinner salad and a bed of rice make this dinner easy, even on the busiest of nights. Take it one step further by working smarter:  Make a double salad and double batch of rice from a meal earlier in the week and set it aside for this meal so everything’s ready to go.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post include affiliate links, providing The Nourishing Home a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Of course, you are not obligated to use these links to make a purchase, but if you do, it helps to support this site and ministry. Thank you!

Looking for more amazingly delicious and easy Crockpot Recipes,
check out these reader-favorites:

Sweet-n-Spicy Crockpot Chicken

Easy Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

Turkey-Veggie Crockpot Chili

What’s your favorite go-to crockpot recipe for busy, hustle-bustle days?

Meet Tiffany!
Tiffany is a frugal foodie – passionate about feeding her family healthy food, while being a good steward of her family’s finances. She’s a homeschooling mother of two, loving wife to one and a child of God blessed in more ways than she can count. She shares her enthusiasm for affording real food without going broke, and documents her baby-sized strides at Don’t Waste the Crumbs. Join Tiffany and the Crumbs Community on Facebook or Google+ for encouragement and small, simple steps to healthier living.

Like most families, there’s no such thing as a “typical” day at our house, other than one of my favorite days of the week – Meal Planning Prep Day!

That’s the day I spend some time prepping meals for the week ahead. Because frankly, if I didn’t, getting a homemade healthy meal on the table just wouldn’t happen!

Because meal planning is such a wonderful tool to save time, money and stress, I am always excited to share about how truly easy it is to create a weekly meal plan and to take a little time to prep for the busy week ahead.

Of course, just mentioning the benefits of scheduling a prep day can bring a lot of questions to mind …
• “What types of things do you do during your weekly prep day?”
• “How long does it take?” “Is it really a ‘day’ or just a block of time?”
• “What if I don’t have time to schedule a prep day?”

That’s why, when I learned that the theme for September for Keeper of the Home contributors was to write about a day in our own personal lives, I got excited about the opportunity to share what an actual meal planning prep day looks like here at The Nourishing Home.

Yet, please keep in mind, if you opt to read this little snapshot called A Day in the Life of a Meal Planner, that there are lots of ways you can plan to prep ahead, whether it’s scheduling a chunk of time in one day, or making a simple list of daily prep tasks, like my dear friend Tiffany … however you opt do it, prep time is always time well spent!

Joyfully Serving HIM, Kelly