Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Once I discovered how good homemade spaghetti sauce is, it was really hard for me to go back to the store bought kind. I have nothing against buying it at the store and I have no doubt that there will be times when I grab a jar or two of it to save some time and energy in the kitchen. But, wow, if I have the time and ingredients to make my own, it is just so good.

Spaghetti sauce is one of those recipes that doesn't have to be super involved in order to be completely delicious. Consequently, it can also invoke a lot of "Mmmmms" and "I love this, Mom!" from around the table at dinner time. It's really nice to hear how much your family enjoys something that you made.

Our Gone Fishin' Birthday Party

Of course it's hard for me to believe that my baby is nine years old and I've been doing this Momma thing that long. We had such a great time celebrating his birthday last weekend and I wanted to share some of the party ideas that helped give it that extra touch.

I worked with Nina from Everyday Enchanting for the party printables. Our son wanted a fishing themed party so we went with the Gone Fishin package. What I loved about this the most was that it was a DIY download.

This allowed me to customize as necessary, but it also gives me the freedom to edit the printables in a few months when it's our younger son's birthday. Because, being the fishing boy that he is, he also wants a party like this. It's a win-win for me!

It's going to save me so much time getting ready for the next party because there are only a few things I will need to switch up. The fact that I laminated most of the printables will also save me money.
 

 

I kept the food simple, but also theme related as much as possible. Since there were a lot of kid-sized cousins at the party, I served fish sticks, which they loved. I wanted a dip besides ketchup (because every kid likes to dip food in ketchup) that the adults would also enjoy. I found THE BEST tartar sauce recipe on pinterest.  Be sure to grab the recipe from my Paleo Board. The recipe is super easy and tastes amazing! It is definitely one I'll be using again.

As a few other side dishes, we did carrots and ranch and I tried a new paleo-friendly coleslaw recipe.

For treats for guests, I jarred up some edible Lures and Worms!

 

 

I was very pleased with how the party favors turned out. To go with the outdoors/fishing theme, I gave each child a S'more Kit. I LOVED the printable from Everyday Enchanting that gave it the perfect finished look.

 

 

I was also completely inspired by Everyday Enchanting's idea for a Bait Cupcake. These were ultra easy to make and inexpensive as well. I used craft wire for the bucket handle, crumpled up "oreo" cookie on top of a chocolate cupcake and added a couple of worms for good measure.

My kids thought these were the coolest cupcakes and really enjoyed them. I made a few grain free ones for one of our sons and used this incredibly awesome recipe from Against All Grain. You must try them!!

Our son had such a great time at his party and I love that I was able to so easily create a fishing themed party just like he wanted. Thanks Nina from Everyday Enchanting for making it possible! And be sure to take a look around her Etsy Shop for other fantastic party packages that won't break the bank!

For more Fishing Party ideas, be sure to check out my Pinterest Board. I hope you will find  inspiration on there that will help you with your next party.

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Roasted Asparagus--Yum!

I love, love, love asparagus and I'm so thankful it's that time of year when it starts to go on sale!

One of my favorite recipes is Roasted Asparagus. It is soooo good!

Roasted Asparagus
2 lbs fresh asparagus
1/4 c. orange juice (today I used 1/4 c. lemon juice mixed with 1/4 c. raw honey)
2 T. olive oil
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus; place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Whisk together orange juice, olive oil and next 3 ingredients; drizzle mixture over asparagus, tossing to coat. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

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Bacon and Brussel Sprout Hash {Yum!}

Would you believe me if I said brussel sprouts and bacon was one of my favorite dishes?

Would you believe me if I told you that my kids eat it (and actually ask for more? Well, at least one of them?)

Well, it's true! I can't get enough of this brussel sprout and bacon hash. It is deelish.

I feel sheepish calling it a recipe since it has a whole two ingredients. Well, three, if you count the bacon grease. :) Seriously though, the flavors of the bacon perfectly balance out the brussel sprouts.

Plus, the health benefits of brussel sprouts is phenomenal. You're probably shaking your head right now saying, "Yes, I know....that's what my mother always used to say." But she was right!

Brussel sprouts are great at helping to fight cancers, especially prostate, colon, and endometrial cancers. It is also high in Vitamin C so when you combine that with it's other antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin A and E, it helps trap harmful free radicals.

I could go on and on about the healthy benefits of brussel sprouts, but suffice it to say, they are one amazing little vegetable.

Now, on to the recipe. My mouth is watering just thinking about this. For real. Good thing I have brussel sprouts and bacon in the house because as soon as I am done typing this sentence I'm going to go make this recipe.

Alright, now that the bacon is going on the stove I can finish this post. :) Let's get to the recipe so you can make your own!

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Pumpkin Breakfast Ice Cream {Dairy Free}

Yes, my friends, you read that right. Ice cream for breakfast. A kid's dream come true! And the great thing about this recipe is I can feel good about giving it to our kids no matter what time of day it is.

This ice cream is made without an ice cream maker so it will be more of a soft serve variety and will melt quickly. That shouldn't be a problem if your kids are like mine though and eat it so fast you won't even have time to say "brain freeze".

I hope you like it as much as we do! Click on the recipe card to print a 4x6 of this recipe.

P.s. the recipe calls for coconut cream. This is not essential, but it does help add to the consistency. I buy canned coconut milk (the carton kind contains carrageenan) and I skim the cream off the top of the can. If yours hasn't separated just put it in the fridge for an hour or so and then skim it off the top. Most of the time, the cream is ready to go though.  Enjoy!

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Dairy Free Soft Serve Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

The majority of our family cannot tolerate dairy, but that doesn't mean we don't love us some ice cream!

When we wanted to indulge our sweet tooth, I used to purchase coconut ice cream from the store. Besides the fact it is expensive, I learned that it contains carrageenan, a carcinogen. Boo!

So, one day I was in the kitchen trying to come up with a healthy ice cream for the kids and this is what I made. To print a 4x6 recipe card, click on the recipe below.

Not only is this easy ice cream a favorite in our family, but it has a lot of "good for us" things in it, too! I love to make this for the kids before bed some nights.

If you'd like a copy, here's a 4x6 recipe card I made for my readers.

Thanks so much for visiting Purposeful Homemaking. I'd love for you to stay connected through the following social medias such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest. 
 

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