Do you like free?  I love anything free.  So I’m sponsoring my first contest (in a very long time) for an opportunity to win a FREE e-Course on  How to Cook Real Food Cooking Class starting June 1, 2010.  This is a $120 value!  (Winners will be announced June 1)

Yesterday I talked with Jenny McGruther from Nourished Kitchen, the author/teacher of the classes, in depth about what you can expect to learn during Jenny’s 12 weeks of classes.  It’s so fun to get to know your teacher as a real person just like you and I.

I’m most excited to learn more about:

• how to make a no-knead sourdough bread – can’t wait to try that!
• learn more about making Kefir and Kefir water,
• healthy fats in particular homemade salad dressings.
• learning to braise and roast vegetables to bring out the full-flavor and nutritional value.
• In depth details about using alternative sweeteners and a sweetener free dessert.
• how to incorporate the principles to entertain others, please husbands and children, and much much more.

Take advantage of the 20% off coupon to enroll in How to Cook Real Food Cooking Classes and  use coupon code:  URBANHOME

Enter the Contest Here to win the Free eCourse:   How to Cook Real Food.  ($120 retail value)

You will also be learning about :

• How to balance healthy food on a tight Budget
• How to use simple, fresh, seasonal foods on a budget.
• How to master simple and basic principles of a Nourishing Traditions diet.
• How to address cooking real food on a gluten free and or dairy free diet with a busy schedule.
• You will learn to Cook Real Food and Save Money AT LAST!
• How to stock your pantry and get the junk out.
• Basic Techniques.
• Get many useful charts and recipes.
  
• Self-Paced Classes Begin June 1- and you will have LIFETIME ACCESS!
  
• Much Much More

Watch the bonus lesson:  Nuts and Seeds

You will learn to learn how to make a basic pesto using nuts or seeds and herbs or greens they have available and on hand.  You will also learn how to make a dried fruit and nut snack bar at home similar to the ones sold by Larabar, but for a fraction of the cost.

Download Complimentary Recipes and Worksheets Here

In this tight economy, with green and healthy living becoming more and more mainstream, many readers are just a little bit overwhelmed thinking about  how to get started with a lifestyle for healthy eating.

I know when I first read Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, the information made sense, but I was afraid to start any new step because the ingredients, methods, and concepts were so foreign and unfamiliar to me.

Little by little, I have mastered a few new skills and have done many phone seminars on the topic of Cooking Your Way to Wellness.  I know many readers are hungry and eager for a little more information, practical tips, and how to’s.

I know you would love to learn how to cook real food without breaking the bank or spending hours slaving away in the kitchen.  The Cook Real Foods Class will be filled with tips and information from a farmers market manager from Colorado, a working mother and a natural foods cook.  Sound too good to be true, right?

The How to Cook Real Foods and Save Money Class is a multi-media on-line class from the comfort of your home.  What you learn alone will pay for the class.  Check out the details below:

Learn MORE and sign up for the How to Cook  Real Food Cooking Class Now!

How to Cook Real Foods Multi-Media Class will teach you to:

• Balance Healthy Food on a tight Budget
• Use simple, fresh, seasonal foods on a budget.
• You will learn to Cook Real Food and Save Money AT LAST!
• Classes Begin June 1

REGISTER NOW!

As a review, Real Foods Menus are nutrient diets which include some of the following ingredient changes:

Breads, muffins, biscuits, pancakes, etc prepared using:  Fresh whole grain flours using the soaking method or the Two Stage Process.

Replace sugar with: Rapadura, sucanat, muscovado, raw honey, maple syup, or stevia.

Replace white flour with: Freshly milled (if possible) whole wheat flour, kamut flour spelt flour, sprouted whole grain flour, other freshly milled flour

Replace water and bullion cubes or canned stock with: Home-made chicken or beef stock.

Replace shortening with: Virgin coconut oil or Spectrum brand shortening which is made of palm oil, or raw butter, if available.

Replace vegetable oils such as canola oil or corn oil with:  Coconut oil or butter, olive oil or Mary’s Oil Blend. Use a wide variety of healthy fat for a good balance of essential fatty acids.

Replace skim or 2% milk with: Raw Milk or Coconut Milk.

REGISTER NOW by May 31, classes begin June 1.

WOW, I have learned a lot about “camp cooking”, kitchen remodeling, general contracting, stress management and much more since my last kitchen remodeling update nearly a month ago. Last time I posted,  I showed before kitchen demolition pictures, demolition pictures of the kitchen down to the studs, and my “camp kitchen” pictures.

Although I thought after 3 months of planning I was over  the hump in the decision making process, I have discovered that I was just beginning.

My new part time job, these last twelve weeks or so, has been meeting with contractors, reviewing bids, coordinating workman, making countless design and material decisions, troubleshooting the construction “surprises”, hiring and coordinating countless contractors and learning to live in the “camp”.

My meal management  strategy, while relying on a hot plate and microwave/convection oven for most of my cooking is to use up what’s in the freezer and pantry while supplementing with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Our menus have actually been far better than I imagined.  Here is a selection of simple meals we have enjoyed:

• Baked potato bar with canned chili and shredded cheese
• Fried Rice
• Hot dogs, beans, homemade applesauce
• Chicken Patties with baked potatoes and salad
• Stir Fry chicken and vegetables
• Spaghetti sauce over spaghetti squash with Parmesan cheese
• Beef Stroganoff with mushrooms over Rice
• Homemade Chicken Soup and crackers
• Taco Sundaes
• Sloppy Joes
• Split Pea Soup
• Lamb Roast with baked potatoes, gravy, and honeyed carrots (Our Easter Dinner)
• Marinated Elk Steak with baked potatoes and steamed Kale
• Subway sandwiches

Sounds pretty great, right?  That’s because I am using up bits of “this and that” out of my pantry and freezer.  It’s surprising what you can find tucked in the various corners of the deep freeze and above the refrigerator when you start  digging around and cleaning out!

Some other advantages of “camp cooking” in your house besides planning simpler meals are:

• You have a real refrigerator rather than an ice chest.
• Hot running water even though it is at the other end of the house in the bathroom.
• Drastically fewer dishes to wash if you use paper plates and bowls.
• The opportunity to be creative and use up what you have.
• What you see on tables and shelves is what you have to work with.

The main disadvantages of this simpler lifestyle that I discovered are:

• The lack of a handy sink for getting veggies and dishes washed.
• Clutter everywhere  with no cabinets and very little counter space (it’s easy to find stuff though.)
• Circuit breakers readily flip off if I use two or more appliances at once.
• Working at table level instead of counter level.

All in all I would say the “camp cooking and living space” in the garden level of my bi-level home has proved to be cozy and functional, and the least difficult part of of remodeling.  More about this adventure with pictures when I find my camera….

You can follow other blog posts from my kitchen remodel progress at the following links:

Old Kitchen- ” before” remodeling pictures,

Pictures of the plans for the new kitchen.

Moving to my “camp kitchen.”

What a Mess, Kitchen Demolition Continues.

I made a commitment to join in The Ultimate Homeschool Expo this week and listen to as many of the workshops as possible.  As I said, this mom need a little recharging!

But I didn’t know that you can join in the live workshops FREE and tomorrow is the last day!!!!

The Ultimate Homeschool Expo has been awesome for me.  Today Kate Estes, of Hands and Heart Ministries, explained how to freeze muffin batter and then bake the frozen batter and have fresh muffins for breakfast without all the time and mess it takes to whip up a fresh batch of muffins.  Talk about starting you and your family off to a great day!

I loved speaker Kimberly Ehlers challenge on Monday:

“I will not compare myself to any other Mom; I will not compare my child to any other child; I will celebrate the God created specialness of my child.”

Christine Field challenged me when she pointed out, “When I finally agreed to submit to God’s authority, everything else in life just started falling in place for me.”  Ouch!

Did you ever think about teaching chores to your children as a way to develop character, teach life skills but more importantly teach a strong life-long work ethic?

These are just a few of the many nuggets of truth in my notes and I haven’t even begun to listen to all of the pre-recorded workshops that are included with an Expo ticket.

If you are into free as much as I am you won’t want to miss tomorrow’s line-up!

***********************************************

HOW TO JOIN The Ultimate Expo for Free Tomorrow

***********************************************

It’s EASY!   Join Us Live Online: http://www.UltimateHomeschoolExpo.com/chat.html

OR here are the call-in details:

Phone Number: (724) 444-7444  (I listened on my cell phone today as I was driving today)

Call ID: 38181#

PIN: 1#

**************************************

The Free Live Schedule forFriday, May 7, 2010 –

(Be sure to adjust for your time zone – most workshops go for 90 minutes – drop in anytime)

**************************************

10AM CT

Welcome: Molly Evert from www.MyAudioSchool.com

Workshop: Mother: YOU can Make a Difference in this World! with Karisa Rivera from www.KarisaRivera.com

1PM CT

Welcome: Anne Elliott from www.AnnesSchoolPlace.com

Workshop: Teaching the Multi-Grade Homeschool with Terri Johnson from www.KnowledgeQuestMaps.com

3:30PM CT

Welcome: Denise Warnick from www.floatasoldier.org

Workshop: Re-Charge Your Homeschool! with Cindy Rushton from www.CindyRushton.com

Optional Ticket Information:

But if you miss these free live workshops, you can still buy a ticket to the entire event for life for only $39.95 or $59.95 if you purchase your ticket with a friend and you will have access to these workshops and a hundred others indefinitely, forever PLUS the Vendor Hall, and Mommy Grab Bag full of free resources!!!!

Truthfully, I think there are enough freebies and fabulous information to start off your school year with little to no further investment.

So check it out tomorrow – Friday May 7, 2010.  You can listen live on line while you are teaching the children, handling email, washing dishes, folding laundry, cooking dinner, etc.

Get your ticket for the Mommy Grab Bag of Goodies, Fabulous Freebies and Downloads, and all the other great resources if you want access to over 100 workshops FOREVER

I can tell you the content and fellowship I listened to and joined in so far this week has exceeded my expectations by a lot!

Don’t miss the free doorprizes waiting for you if you join in the free, live chat during the workshops tomorrow!!!  I’ll be there and would love to chat with you!

And if you are into hundreds of freebie downloadable resources  like I am, you may want to get a ticket.  But don’t take my word for it, just listen in tomorrow for free and enjoy the fellowship!

As Cindy says is her sweet southern hospitality voice, “You’re gonna love it.”

www.urbanhomemaker.com
www.multipureusa.com/urbanhomemaker
www.marilynmollsnorwex.com
www.marilynmoll.com
1-800-55- BREAD
1-800-552-7323

Copyright The Urban Homemaker, Marilyn Moll, PO Box 72, Paonia, CO  81428? All Rights Reserved.

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.“-Ben Franklin

I am very excited to announce that I am getting started with regularly scheduled phone seminars again. In fact, I will start tomorrow afternoon – Wednesday April 28. But don’t worry if you can’t make it, the call will be recorded and available for you to listen to at your convenience and there is no charge.

Since I’m in the middle of kitchen remodeling I’m thrilled at the timeliness of tomorrow’s topic being: “Recharge Mom”

I’ll admit, taking time for mom, taking time for me is a subject I’m not particularly comfortable with or knowledgeable about. Too much false guilt, I guess. I don’t know why I think I’m supposed to be some sort of robot that works and works and never stops to take time for a little rest, relaxation or even a little pampering.

Now I can honestly say, I’m not sure where this false belief comes from, but I notice in scripture that Jesus often took extended time away to spend time with the Father. He needed to get away from the crowds frequently, I assume he was very tired and needed to get recharged. Why does our 24/7 culture tell us otherwise? Am I any different than God incarnate if I am made in his image?

Do I think life can’t go on in the family if I’m not there to do the work or overseeing all the activities, meals, appointments, baths, etc? Maybe your idea of recharging doesn’t fit within your budget constraints. Does recharging have to take money? Does recharging require time away from home? How much time does it take to recharge?

How often should we recharge? What are the benefits of recharging for myself and for my family? These are just a few of the questions on my mind, maybe you have others.

But this will be our lively topic of conversation with well known speaker and author, mom, and wife, Cindy Rushton tomorrow. We will be talking with Cindy in the afternoon during some children’s nap time.

Plan to carve out a little time to listen in! The call or the recording is free and available 24/7 to you and your convenience.

Remember, the background noise is muted out so your house doesn’t have to be quiet.

Here is the Contact Information:

Join Cindy and I in a Live-Online CHAT/Seminar:

Phone Number: (724) 444-7444  The only cost is for applicable long distance charges, if any)

Call ID: 38181# PIN: 1# (Or your Talkshoe PIN)

OR: Live on line:  http://www.Talk-a-Latte.com/chat. You just go to this page and you can see the chat and click to hear the workshop stream live. No need for a password or code. It is easy AND free!

Time: 5:30 ET, 4:30 CT, 3:30 MT, 2:30 PT Date: Wednesday April 28 Topic: Recharge Mom Guest Speaker: Cindy Rushton with Marilyn Moll

Ed Note: As an older mom, I can tell you it is very wise to involve the little ones in household activities when they are very young and want to help. Here is how one young mom is achieving this goal.

NORWEX IS NOT ONLY SAFE FOR KIDS, IT GETS KIDS INVOLVED!  By Rebekka Parry

It has always been one of my goals to get my kids involved with weekly chores around the house. Learning responsibility and the importance of doing a good job are priorities for our family. But how that was going to actually work out practically, I wasn’t sure! Then Marilyn introduced me to Norwex microfiber, and the light bulb came on! Now I could assign small duties to my young kids without worrying about buckets of water and chemicals! The following are some practical ways that Norwex can be a family affair:

1. The telescopic mop handle adjusts in height! It can adjust small enough for an eight or nine year old to use. You can start teaching the technique of mopping early!

2. The dry superior mop pads are useful even without the mop! I have my five year old son using them to wipe down my wooden stairs by hand. They also work well on the hardwood that is not covered by my area carpets.  They come in two sizes, I have the smaller one for maneuverability around carpets and hardwood floors.

3. Kids can learn the consequences of their actions by helping to clean up. When my four year old decided to write with a crayon on my kitchen floor, I had him help me scrub it off with the antibac wet mop pad.  Again this wet mop pad comes in two colors.

4. The antibac microfiber mitt is a great way to get even the smallest child excited about helping! Just slide that “big blue paw” on, and show them how to wipe down chairs and railings! The best part is—whatever those little fingers touch, they dust!

5. The antibac enviro cloths come in different colors! You can help your child feel the special part he or she plays by letting them pick their own color. Then work side by side cleaning the bathtub, wiping counters, cleaning the fridge, washing windows, or dusting. Let them “own” the cloth and the responsibility of a job well done!  (You can invest in a four pack or individually.)

Ed Note: Rebekka Parry is proud momma of 4 children ages 5 and under, three boys and 1 girl, so far and a family friend from when we lived in Pennsylvania.

Cleaning has never been easier, safer, or faster!

Purchase all the Spring Cleaning Pack, one Enviro, one dust mitt, and one window cloth

for just $41.99 (reg. $46.48)

Use and Care Info:  To care for your cloths, simply wash with a dot of dish soap and rinse very well under running water.  Once a week, or when needed throw into the washer with lint free items.  Be sure to NEVER  use bleach or fabric softener which destroys the fiber properties.   Tumble dry or hang to dry.  Avoid drying with towels or other high lint items.

Visit my blog for Kitchen Remodeling Updates and Pictures:  www.marilynmoll.com

Request a Norwex Catalog:  Email me at marilyn@urbanhomemaker.com

Copyright 2010 Marilyn Moll and Laura Coble, All Rights Reserved.

The simple phrase, “Getting Back to Basics”,  has been going through my head since I have been setting up my camp kitchen with “basics” and while I was concocting the elk stew melange earlier this week.

Basics, in my mind, are learning basic cooking skills such as sauteing, stock making, baking, yeast bread baking, roasting meat, basically cooking from scratch.  Basics are good to know in an emergency and as part of a family preparedness plan.

Not surprisingly, basics are often quite economical and budget friendly ingredients and recipes.  Basics are ingredients such as flour, sugar, eggs, milk, salt, vegetables, fruits, bread, and cheese.

Basic vegetables in a pantry would include potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, cabbage and celery.

Basic fruits in my house are based on what is in season.  Right now strawberries, pineapple, apples, bananas, and oranges were on sale at my grocery store so that is what I bought.  Here is the complete Master Pantry List that I work from when re-stocking basics.

If all this back to basics cooking sounds a little too complex and confusing to you I discovered there are numerous websites that enable you to list what items you have on hand and then generate useful recipes to try out.  Check out http://www.recipematcher.com/ which enables you to type in a list of ingredients on hand and then select the type of cuisine you are trying to prepare such as breakfast, American, Mexican, Chinese, side dish, healthy, Vegetarian, Crock Pot or 30 Minute Meal, etc.  Voila, recipe suggestions are listed.  This will definitely be a handy website for my menu planning in the weeks ahead.  A google search will locate other similar sites.

Now that Spring has officially arrived,  I challenge you to clean out your pantry, fridge, and freezer to make room for putting aside some of the bounty of this coming years harvest.  You might even want to do some pantry planning and overhauling.   Are you Prepared?