michelejo.com

Category: Tending Hearth

  • Easy Instant Pot Caramel Sauce

    This recipe is so easy, so affordable and so fun ~ you’ll want to make it all the time. It’s a favorite of my husband’s…he loves it if I make this when we have apples! Gala are our favorite but we love to try unusual varieties sometimes too. They all taste good with this sauce,…

  • Minimalist Kitchen ~ Part 3

    ~ We had seven pitchers and five vases taking up a whole lower cabinet ~ funny how these things accumulate over many years of running a household. I got rid of all but two plastic pitchers and I kept two glass vases. I later found two glass beverage dispensers on sale for $5 each at…

  • $45 Emergency Meal Plan?

    $45 “emergency” meal plan for a week for a family of 4-6! This is quite a bit older, so I was curious how much the shopping list would cost in today’s dollars. I priced it for Walmart, as of 12/27/2018 in Phoenix, AZ. Many of the items would be much more affordable if you can…

  • Bean day!!

    What would I do without my Instant Pot!?!  While I prefer to soak my beans for 24 hours, I often don’t plan well enough.  I simply rinse them really really well, and then transfer to the IP with fresh water and salt (to taste).  60 minutes on high pressure is perfect for me for most…

  • Seven ways to save money on groceries when you’re vegan!

    Couponing often seems to be geared toward for people with few to no dietary restrictions, right?  Been feeling left out eating a plant-based diet? Much of what we buy today is much more stable and longer lasting.   The “faux” meats come frozen, or if refrigerated, they’re good for 3-4 months after purchase.  Tofu, vegan cheeses…

  • Why I’m “Thriving” Again!

    I know I made a big deal out of no longer needing Thrive because we discovered that the “active ingredient” (at least for me!) was caffeine.  The shakes were a little (or a LOT) more carby than I wanted, even when made with low-carb milk and the patch?  Meh…couldn’t really tell if it was or…

  • September: Week 1 Recap

    This week, I’ve been working on the house a lot.  I made a lot of progress with some boxes/piles that we dumped in the master bedroom weeks ago.  It’s not finished but it’s at 80% and feels so much better!  I have been sticking with my habit of making the bed every morning.   I…

  • September: Week 1 Recap

    This week, I’ve been working on the house a lot.  I made a lot of progress with some boxes/piles that we dumped in the master bedroom weeks ago.  It’s not finished but it’s at 80% and feels so much better!  I have been sticking with my habit of making the bed every morning.   I…

  • Why I use disposable dinnerware when I care about the environment.

    Let’s face it…it’s already made, right?  If I don’t buy it, someone else will.  Sure, I don’t like padding the pockets of the companies that make it, but they’re just in business and capitalism and all that, right? So it does kind of pain me, but I’d go insane without it during this season of…

  • Where did August go? And Thrive Update…

    I know this is a pattern…but WOW.  I can’t believe it’s August 31st! My pantry challenge was not as successful as I’d envisioned, but I do definitely see a pretty good dent in what we’ve got hoarded away.  I would say we used about half of what we had when the month began. I shopped…